The Hindu : T.N., Karnataka could talk it out: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 29, 2002

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T.N., Karnataka could talk it out: PM

By Our New Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI Sept. 28. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today deprecated the "tendency" to rush to courts for settling disputes instead of the parties including Governments sorting the disputes among themselves. He made this observation in the context of the on-going Cauvery dispute.

Speaking at the 38th Indian Labour Conference, the Prime Minister wondered why the dispute could not be settled bilaterally instead of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu seeking a remedy in the Supreme Court.

Observing that the dispute was the result of a conflict of interests between the two States, Mr. Vajpayee asked "who will settle the dispute — courts? Why cannot the States do so themselves?''

Though there could be a legal remedy, two sides could also resolve the dispute themselves. These days court intervention was being sought even in a matter which could be settled bilaterally.

Karnataka accuses T.N.

But how entangled the Cauvery dispute has become was evident from Karnataka's reply filed in the Supreme Court today, charging Tamil Nadu with adopting an "obstructive attitude''.

This, it said, had denied a meaningful report from the CMC leading to possible solution to the present crisis.

Karnataka recalled various instances when Tamil Nadu had boycotted the meetings of either the CMC or the Cauvery River Authority. Referring to Tamil Nadu's boycott at the Bangalore meet, it said that the whole game plan of was to "hide from the CMC" the real and truthful situation prevailing in the delta region.

Tamil Nadu's crisis it said that Tamil Nadu "has to blame itself for the present state of affairs, since it has failed to save waters from the surplus water available in the last water year''.

Contending that Tamil Nadu had miserably failed to prove any injury, Karnataka sought the dismissal of the application.

CMC meet on Monday

Meanwhile, the Centre has convened another meeting of the CMC here on Monday soon after the hearing of the Cauvery case in the Supreme Court.

The meet is a sequel to the Water Resources Minister, Arjun Charan Sethi, apprising the Prime Minister on Friday of the outcome of the committee's visit to Karnataka early this week.

However, indications are that Tamil Nadu may not attend the meeting.

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