Karnataka strongly opposed to Cauvery Management Board: CM Siddaramaiah

MYSURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said his government was opposed to the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and that the lawyers representing the state had been asked to put forward this position very strongly in the Supreme Court.

"The judges in the Supreme Court, who are hearing the case, had made a passing remark yesterday about the formation of the Cauvery Management Board. It was not an order, it was only a passing remark," he said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 10-day Dussehra festivities here, the chief minister said, "I am speaking to our lawyers. From the beginning, we have been opposing the formation of the Cauvery Management Board.

"I have asked them to very strongly put forth our position and ensure that there is no order that affects our farmers' interests.

"We will make all efforts to protect our farmers' interests. There is no need for our farmers in the Cauvery basin region to worry."

The Supreme Court is currently hearing the appeals filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal on water-sharing.

The Tamil Nadu government, on Tuesday, had insisted that the court appoint an authority and frame a scheme for sharing and managing the water of the Cauvery among the riparian states, instead of leaving the responsibility to the Centre.