State to stick to guns at CRA meet today

Cauvery River Authority (CRA) headed by prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh will meet on Wednesday evening to decide on the issue of sharing water from Cauvery river between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Chief minister Jagadish Shettar already reached New Delhi with water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Shettar met external affairs minister SM Krishna at his residence and requested him to explain the inability of the  state to release more Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. He expressed hope of getting justice.

Krishna assured that, though he will not participate in the CRA meeting, he would speak to the prime minister  regarding protecting the state’s interest.

Shettar said he will convince CRA about the existing drought situation in the state. “Drinking water availability will also be brought to the notice of the prime minister,” he said.

The meeting, which will be attended by chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry in addition to Shettar, is likely to be stormy as Karnataka is likely to stick to its stand.

The Supreme Court recently criticised the prime minister’s office for not taking adequate steps to convene a CRA  meeting. Wednesday’s meeting is the first such meet convened after UPA came to power at the center in 2004.     inbox@dnaindia.net