TN government calls all party meeting to discuss Cauvery verdict

Chennai: Conceding to DMK's demand for an all party meet to discuss the Supreme Court verdict on sharing of Cauvery river water, the Tamil Nadu government has called for a meeting here on February 22.

The Tamil Nadu government in a statement issued here, said discussions are being held with legal experts on the apex court's February 16 order.

According to the statement, a meeting of all parties has been convened on February 22, at 10.30 a.m. at the state secretariat to discuss the steps to be taken to establish Tamil Nadu's rights and also to protect the welfare of Cauvery delta farmers.

The meeting will be chaired by Chief Minister K.Palaniswami.

Soon after the judgement was delivered, DMK leader M.K.Stalin had hit out at the Tamil Nadu government, saying the state has been cheated out of its share of water while Karnataka, which did not honour any of the earlier orders of the court, has got a higher share.

The Supreme Court verdict reduced Tamil Nadu's share of the Cauvery river water to 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), down from 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007.

Stalin had demanded Palaniswami to convene an all-party meet to discuss the unprecedented situation and decide on the next course of action.

"I would like to insist that representatives from farmers' association should be allowed to take part in the meet," he had said.