TN Government says Supreme Courts's reference to 'scheme' in verdict points to CMB

The Tamil Nadu government today claimed that the term 'scheme' used by the Supreme Court in its February 16 Cauvery verdict pointed to the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and another body.

"Accordingly, the 'scheme' refers to the formation of an organisation that will implement the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court verdict," a state government release said.

This comes a day after Union Water Resources Ministry Secretary U P Singh's remarks that the apex court had never mentioned about these boards.

"Supreme Court has (in its order) not used the words Cauvery Management Board, it is basically saying a 'scheme.'

It could be exactly what the tribunal had said," the secretary told a meeting in New Delhi yesterday.

The meeting convened by the union water resources ministry with all the stakeholders in the inter-state river dispute--  Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry-- had discussed the modalities of a scheme to be implemented.

This was in the light of the recent apex court order on the dispute.

The Tamil Nadu government officials during the meeting had said the "Centre has no other option than constituting the CMB and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC)," the release said.

Opposition DMK has sought to know if the state government questioned Singh's remarks at the meeting.

Following the February 16 Supreme Court verdict on the vexed Cauvery dispute, Tamil Nadu has been insisting on constitution of the CMB and the CWRC.

Referring to portions from the judgment, the release here said the Supreme Court had ruled that the Centre should evolve a 'scheme' within six weeks that modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award.

Certain provisions of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 have "clearly defined" what this 'scheme' means, the release said.

The state government officials claimed during the meeting that the 'scheme' mentioned in the apex court verdict referred to constitution of the CMB and CWRC and that these should be formed within six weeks.

The release said the state government underlined its commitment to uphold Tamil Nadu's rights on the Cauvery issue and vowed to protect the interests of the farmers who were dependent on the river water.