‘Why is TN govt not convening all-party meet on Cauvery issue’

Chennai, Aug 29 (PTI) With Karnataka ruling out releaseof Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Opposition DMK today demandedto know why the state government was not convening anall-party meeting to discuss the matter. DMK president M Karunanidhi pointed out that KarnatakaChief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently convened an all-partymeeting involving BJP, Congress and JD(S), where the issue ofTamil Nadu moving the Supreme Court seeking 50 tmc ft(thousand million cubic feet) of water was discussed indetail. Referring to Karnataka’s proposal to construct a dam onCauvery at Mekedatu, he said all parties in that state areunited on this matter. "As far as Karnataka is concerned, all political parties,including ruling Congress and BJP which is running thegovernment at the Centre, are united on the Mekedatu issue.That state’s Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) often convenes all-party meetings to get their opinions," Karunanidhi said in astatement. However, the "rulers here are not prepared to heeddemands for convening all-party meeting," to discuss theissue, the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said. The state government either took up the matter with theCentre through letters or by adopting resolutions in the stateAssembly, he added. Karunanidhi said an all-party delegation from Karnatakahad also called on the Prime Minister in April on the Mekedatuissue but no such thing had happened in Tamil Nadu. The DMK leader said Tamil Nadu was facing problems overinter-state water disputes involving neighbouring states –Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in Siruvani, Palar andCauvery, respectively. Karnataka had on Saturday said it was not possible for itto release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu given the "severedistress" faced by it, as an all-party meeting decided thatthe Supreme Court be apprised of the "ground reality" on thecase filed by its neighbour. PTI SA APRKIS