Karnataka names two officials to Cauvery authority

The Karnataka government on Monday nominated two persons to the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) so as to ‘block’ any further ‘damages’ to the State’s interest. It also decided to convene an all-party meeting after the Centre’s decision to set up the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.

Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said the State government had appointed Rakesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Water Resources, and HL Prasanna, Director, Cauvery Irrigation Authority, to the CRA.

He said Karnataka had been affected by the apex court ruling and cited a provision that such matters needed to be deliberated in Parliament before the committee was constituted.

The Centre had on June 22 constituted a Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, comprising representatives from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said the guidelines drawn up by the Union government in formulating the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) were “not acceptable” and they need to be corrected.

“Karnataka is not against formation of the CWMA, but we are opposing certain provisions in the scheme and the same was discussed with the Prime Minister and the Water Resources Minister. Now, we feel our rights have been snatched away and we will take it up with the Centre again,” he had said on Saturday.