The State government will convene an all-party meeting to discuss the Cauvery issue that has emerged following Tamil Nadu’s decision to start work on the link scheme transferring surplus water in the Cauvery basin to the Vaigai and the Gundar.
Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol announced this in the Legislative Council on Tuesday, after the Opposition parties accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of going slow on it in light of the elections in Tamil Nadu. The issue was raised in the Legislative Assembly as well.
The Council saw the Opposition parties mounting an attack on the BJP for “playing politics” on the issue. Leader of the Opposition S.R. Patil asked why the government was delaying filing a petition in the Supreme Court and said the BJP was “sacrificing Karnataka’s interests by trying a new alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.”
“The file is with the Chief Minister. We will shortly convene an all-party meeting where technical and legal experts would also be called in. You [Opposition members] can provide inputs to the government,” he told the Legislative Council. Unhappy with the government’s reply, members of the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) walked out of the Council.
