Farmers flay appointment of temporary chairman to authority

Farmers bodies cited the clause stating that the Cauvery Water Management Authority should appeal for Centre’s help when one of the states did not comply with its direction and said such a toothless body would take the situation back to square one.

Besides, the nomination of a temporary chairman for the authority too came in for flak from the farmers organisations.

P Maniarasan, coordinator of the Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee said the Supreme Court had only ordered the appointment of a permanent chairman for the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

He said there is no provision for the appointment of a temporary chief to the body. “There are reports that a permanent head will be appointed soon. What is the need for appointing a temporary head when a permanent chairman is going to be appointed in a few days. It seems to be a conspiracy against Tamil Nadu.”

Leader of the South Indian Rivers Linking Movement Ayyakannu said the Cauvery Water Management Authority had not been given appropriate powers.

The clause that the authority would seek Centre’s help if one of the states did not comply with its order would go against Tamil Nadu, since Central governments would act against Tamil Nadu.

He said both the Congress and BJP have stakes in Karnataka, but they have no support in Tamil Nadu. So, Central governments would always take a decision against Tamil Nadu when the authority seeks its help. Coordinator of Federation of All Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations demanded that the authority should ensure that water is released to Tamil Nadu before June 12.

However, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai said the notification for the Cauvery Water Management Authority is a positive step and it would bring Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu soon.