Kiran Bedi urges PM Modi to act on Cauvery issue immediately

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor (LG) Kiran Bedi on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately act on the Cauvery issue.

In a letter, Bedi urged the Prime Minister to direct the concerned Ministry of Government of India to constitute Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) forthwith without further delay as per the Supreme Court order.

The LG informed Prime Minister Modi that the agricultural operations in Karaikal region of the Union Territory are affected due to inordinate and abysmally low quantum of water released from Cauvery.

The Karaikal region of the Union Territory of Puducherry is located at the tail end of Cauvery basin.

"The Supreme Court judgement pronounced on 16/02/2018 confirmed the final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in respect of quantum of water to be released to Puducherry (7 TMC). In order to release the stipulated Cauvery water from the upper reaches, it is essential to the CMB and the CWRC as envisaged in the final award of CWDT," Bedi wrote.

She also said that the Centre's interlocutory application seeking certain clarifications and also extension of time for three months to comply with the judgement has created anxiety and unrest among the farming community of the Union Territory.

Earlier in the day, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members of parliament (MPs) continued their protest in the Parliament premises over the issue and disrupted the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha proceedings.

While the AIADMK announced a hunger strike across Tamil Nadu on April 3 to urge the central government to form the management board, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced a shutdown across the state on April 5 to press for the same.

On March 15, the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that urged the Centre to constitute the CMB and the CWRC.