Concerns raised over ‘no CMB’ remark post Cauvery meet

The meeting was chaired by Water Resources Ministry Secretary UP Singh, besides chief secretaries of the three states and Puducherry among other senior officials. 

“The meeting was called for consultation…we wanted to know the views of the four states. Since the scheme has to be formulated, what should be the exact shape, composition, roles and responsibilities of the body that will be set up under it,” Singh told reporters after the meeting.  “The SC has (in its order) not used the words Cauvery Management Board, it is basically saying a ‘scheme’. It (the scheme) could be exactly what the tribunal had said.” 

While the state government has clarified that it is firm in its demand for a CMB and the CM is expected to go into a huddle on Saturday to deliberate further on the issue, Leader of Opposition MK Stalin took exception to UP Singh claiming that there was no mention of the words ‘Cauvery Management Board’ and demanded the state government to convene the Assembly at the earliest to take the issue forward. The tribunal had, in the 2007 award, recommended setting up a board with a chairman, who would be an officer of the chief engineer’s rank (with 20 years of experience). 

The tribunal had said there would be two members (chief engineers with 15 years of experience each) -- one from agriculture department and one from water resources department -- and a board secretary.