CMB unlikely, Centre may form steering panel for Cauvery issue

Even as political parties in Tamil Nadu grow increasingly impatient over the Centre’s decision on the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), sources in the ministry of water resources say that a draft cabinet note has been prepared, suggesting the formation of a centrally managed authority to oversee release of water to states in Cauvery basin.   

While there is no official confirmation of this draft note, according to reports, the Centre may opt to form an authority managed by the government. 

This decision is likely to raise a concern for Tamil Nadu because the authority could be headed by an “independent member” who can be an IAS officer , a technocrat, and not necessarily a chief engineer as suggested by Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. As per details in the draft note, the authority is likely to have five full-time members, including the chairman and four other experts appointed by the Centre. The representatives of the four states are likely to be “part-time members”. 

This was hinted at a meeting held by Central Water Resources Secretary Upendra Prasad Singh when he met the Chief Secretaries and Water Resources Secretaries of the four states on March 9. Singh had also said there was more than one model on water management available in the country, notably Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Narmada Control Authority (NCA). While BBMB has taken over the assets, NCA regulates the release supervision while assets remain with the state government. 

Tamil Nadu has seen complete unity in all political parties with regard to the formation of the CMB. The DMK urged Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami to ask all MPs from Tamil Nadu to resign if the Centre fails to immediately set up the Board. However, AIADMK has urged everyone to be patient till March 29, the deadline for the CMB formation. 

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan assured of BJP’s support in the issue, saying, “They (DMK) said all their MLAs were ready to resign on the Cauvery issue. You could have resigned...why haven’t you? You can say anything that can mislead people, but BJP will implement (steps) that will benefit people of TN.”