Karnataka opposes Tamil Nadu's demand for Cauvery board

Karnataka Friday opposed Tamil Nadu's demand for setting up the Cauvery Management Board, as appeals by all riparian states against the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award were pending in the Supreme Court.

"The central government should wait for the Supreme Court verdict on the petition the state has filed against the Tribunal award on the sharing of the Cauvery river water, which was also challenged by Tamil Nadu and Kerala," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

Siddaramaiah has already told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Wednesday that the central government should not accede to the demand of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for constituting the board before the apex court ruling.

"In fact, an interim petition of Tamil Nadu for directing the central government to set up the board was also pending before the apex court along with our petition," Siddaramaiah said.

Asserting that there was no need for such a board, as a supervising committee was set up by the union water resource ministry to monitor release of the river water, the chief minister said he would discuss the issue with the floor leaders of the state legislature June 9 here and lead a delegation to the prime minister June 10 in New Delhi to oppose the demand.

"I hope all the four union cabinet ministers and lawmakers from the state in parliament will support our stand and prevail upon the prime minister not to set up the board," Siddaramaiah said.

From Karnataka, BJP MPs D.V. Sadananda Gowda, H.N. Ananth Kumar and M. Venkaiah Naidu are cabinet ministers in the Modi government and G.M. Siddeshwar is minister of state.