There is no scope for talks with Karnataka over Tamil Nadu’s demand for its rightful share of Cauvery water, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan said on Sunday.
“Had a solution been possible through talks, there would have been no need for constituting the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal,” he said in a statement, in his response to Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Mr. Duraimurugan pointed out that the Centre constituted the Tribunal only because no decision could be taken even after talks from 1967 until 1990. “The Tribunal gave its verdict, which went to the Supreme Court, which included some corrections in it. Hence, there is no scope for two States to hold talks,” he said.
If at all there was any issue in the Supreme Court judgment, “one could only move the court”, Mr. Duraimurugan said, brushing aside the demands for talks and arguing that those who were making these demands were unaware of the history of the dispute.
In his apparent response to the demands that the DMK and its ally, Congress, should hold talks, Mr. Duraimurugan said, “Be it an ally or otherwise, parties would be firm in protecting their rights. That is Tamil Nadu’s position.”
Taking a dig at former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who wanted Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to hold talks with his Karnataka counterpart, Mr. Duraimurugan said the judgement of the expelled AIADMK coordinator seemed clouded by his political confusion.
Mr. Duraimurugan recalled the continuous efforts made by the Stalin government to secure the State’s share of Cauvery water from Karnataka, which has not been releasing water for the past two months on a pro rata basis.
Though Mr. Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there had not been any response from the PMO or the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti so far, Mr. Duraimurugan said.
