Thomas (Special correspondent)
An all party meeting would be convened to discuss inter-state water disputes in the first week of February, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Speaking to media persons after holding a video conference on inter-state water disputes with his ministerial colleagues,legal experts and the senior counsels who represent the state in the water disputes before the courts, Bommai said, the meeting discussed about disputes related to Krishna,Cauvery river basins and the Mahadayi project which are before the courts.
The legal counsels presented details about these cases. Another video conference would be conducted to discuss all these issues by the end of January.
“We will discuss with legal counsels, our water resources minister and law minister about the progress of the legal fight so far.
How we should move ahead.What measures need to be taken to implement the projects in the interest of the state.
Some cases are at a crucial stage. So we need to discuss once again with legal experts and leaders of the opposition.
We will formulate our stand after discussing all these issues at an all party meeting to be held in the first week of February,” Bommai said.
Replying to a question on Tamil Nadu trying to implement the Hogenakkal-2 project as a counter to the Mekedatu project, Bommai said, “as a government we have faced such challenges in the past too.
Karnataka has already opposed Hogenakkal-2 and inter linking of rivers projects of Tamil Nadu and we have filed a petition before the Supreme Court as well in this regard.
We have appealed to the Central Water Commission not to approve these projects. We are putting up a strong legal fight.”
Water resource minister Govind Karajol, law and parliamentary minister j c Madhuswamy, chief secretary of the state govt p. Ravikumar, advocate gen. Prabhuling Navadagi, senior advocates shyam diwan, mohan kataraki virtually participated in the meeting.
