Chennai, Mar 15: Wearing balck shirts, the principal Opposition DMK on Thursday boycotted the budget proposals for the year
2018-19 presented by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in the
State Assembly, in protest against the Centre's delay in setting up the
Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC)
within six weeks as directed by the Supreme Court.
Soon after Mr Panneerselvam, who also holds the Finance
portfolio, rose to present his budget speech, leader of the Opposition and DMK
Working President M K Stalin sought to raise the issue.
But Speaker P Dhanapal refused permission, stating that the
Deputy Chief Minister had started his budget speech.
As the Speaker denied them permission, the DMK members staged
a walk out from the House and boycotted the budget presentation.
They were followed by the members of its alliance parties
Congress and IUML.
Later, Mr Stalin, talking to reporters outside the Assembly
premises, said the DMK was boycotting the budget presentation as the Centre has
failed to take steps to set up the CMB and the CWRC as directed by the Apex Court in its
February 16 order
on the Cauvery issue and the Prime Minister's failure to give
an appointment to meet
an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu on the issue.
It may be recalled that an all party meeting convened by the
ruling AIADMK on February 22 to discuss the Supreme Court order, had
unanimously resolved that
an all-party delegation, comprising leaders of various
parties, MPS, MLAs and representatives of farmers Associations, would soon meet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to set up the CMB and CWRC, besides
implementing the favourable aspects contained in the Apex Court order.
But when the state government sought an appointment with the
PMO, it was asked to meet the concerned Union Minister first on the issue.
This was disclosed by the Chief Minister at a meeting with
DMK Working President and Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin at the State
Secretariat.
Mr Stalin had been reiterating that the Prime Minister, by
refusing an appointment, has hurt the sentiments of the State on the crucial Cauvery river
water issue concerning the livelihood of the farmers in the delta districts of the State.
But the Tamil Nadu government, countered it, by stating that
the Prime Minister had not refused an appointment and had only said that the all-party
delegation should meet the concerned Union Minister on the issue.
The Apex Court while delivering the much-awaited verdict
reduced Tamil Nadu's quantum by 14.75 tmcft to 177.25 tmcft citing the need to supply
drinking water to Bengaluru city (4.75 tmcft).
It may be recalled that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
in its final award in 2007 had directed Karnataka to release 192 tmc ft of water and it was
notified in the government gazette in 2013 following the orders of the Supreme court.
Tamil Nadu was allocated 192 tmcft of water in the final
award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. UNI
