‘Centre won’t make any unilateral move’

Addressing the media in Madurai airport, Nirmala Sitharaman said she reached Madurai to visit some of the most backward villages in Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts. 

The central government had earlier selected 115 backward districts across the country and sent ministers to check whether the central government schemes were being implemented in these districts.

Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts were on the list and the Defence Minister had selected villages where more than 75 per cent of the population was Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. She would also hold meetings with officials of the district administration and check whether the schemes were implemented properly in the villages, she said. 

When asked when the central government may form the CMB, Nirmala Sitharaman replied that CMB cannot be set up by the central government in a unilateral manner and all the states concerned would be consulted before it is formed. The decision has to be made after a consensus is arrived at, said the Defence Minister.

There were many types of inter-state water disputes forum such as water boards and water authorities and the nature of the body would be determined only after discussions, said Nirmala Sitharaman. 

When Nirmala Sitharaman arrived at the government circuit house Minister for Cooperation Sellur Raju met her and stressed that the central government form the CMB at the earliest.