Karnataka to consult Fali Nariman on proposed Cauvery experts group

Karnataka would consult jurist Fali Nariman on the Central government's proposal to form an experts group for sharing the Cauvery river water in the distress period, said state Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil on Tuesday.

"We discussed the pros and cons of the Centre's proposal and the state's special leave petition pending in the Supreme Court against the Inter-Stare River Waters Dispute Tribunal Award," Patil told reporters after an all-party meeting here.

The noted jurist is the head of the state's legal team on disputes over sharing the river water with the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala.

Leaders and lawmakers of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, theJanata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the ruling Congress ministers favoured consulting Nariman on the experts group to evolve a distress formula for sharing the river water.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Home Minister G.Parameshwara, Law Minister T.B.Jayachandra, BJP leader in the assembly Jagadish Shettar and JD-S leaders Basavaraj Horatti and H.D. Revanna participated in the meeting along with legal experts and water resources officials.

"We will take Nariman's opinion on the Centre's proposal and convey our response to the Union Water Resources Ministry accordingly," reiterated Patil.

The Ministry had informed the state government on February 2 about the proposal for its concurrence.

"The issue was also discussed at the Cauvery Supervisory Committee meeting in New Delhi on February 17 and March 30, as the Central Water Commission also sought the views of all the riparian states on the distress formula," said Patil.

"We have authorised the Chief Minister to consult Nariman and to take a decision based on the latter's opinion," Shettar told reporters later.

--IANS

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