Basavaraj Bommai to hold all-party meet on inter-State water disputes in February

Bengaluru: An all-party meeting will be convened to discuss inter-State water disputes in the first week of February, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

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 Karnataka in the water disputes before the courts, Bommai said, the meeting discussed 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 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 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 river 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 P Ravikumar, Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi, senior advocates Shyam Diwan, Mohan Kataraki participated in the virtual meeting.