Cauvery issue: Congress slams party led govt in Karnataka

CHENNAI: The Congress' state unit today slammed the party-led government in Karnataka for its insistence on constructing a checkdam across river Cauvery at Mekedatu, saying it was against the final award given by a tribunal on the inter-state issue.

TNCC President EVKS Elangovan said Karnataka was coming up with excuses to "deny us our fair share" in Cauvery.

Karnataka's insistence "that they will construct a check dam at Mekedatu... is violative of federalism and the final award given by the Cauvery Tribunal," he said.

Elangovan said though the Tribunal had given its final award in 2007 over sharing of Cauvery water between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry, it had "lacked the vision" to draw a distress-sharing formula which had resulted in problems today.

Though the final award had been challenged in the Supreme Court by the states concerned, they, however, have to accept it as it had been published in a Central gazette, he said in a statement.

Elangovan noted that political parties in Karnataka were united in this matter and had even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to present their case and sought to know why Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had not taken any such initiative.

The TNCC chief extended his party's support for tomorrow's fast by a farmer's body on the Cauvery issue scheduled here.