A new Tribunal alone can resolve Cauvery row: Capt. Raja Rao

Mysuru: Retired Engineer Capt. Raja Rao has asserted that setting up of a new tribunal seems to be the best solution for ending the Cauvery row. He was speaking on the topic ‘Cauvery Row: Recent Developments’ at a seminar on ‘Karnataka Irrigation’ organised as part of the ongoing Kannada Sahitya Sammelana at Maharaja’s College Centenary Hall here yesterday. Maintaining that excess Cauvery water has been released to Tamil Nadu over the years, Capt. Raja Rao said setting up of a new tribunal will help in amicably settling the row between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing of Cauvery water. Accusing the current tribunal of giving a raw deal to Karnataka, he said that the Tribunal’s Order asking Karnataka to release water to TN just a week after TN’s appeal, was not correct. Senior farmer activist Prof. Narasimhappa who spoke on the topic ‘The Pros and Cons of Yettinahole Project,’ said that the project was not politically driven. Pointing out that the project helps lakhs of farmers in dry districts such as Chikkaballapur and Kolar, Prof. Narasimhappa maintained that the opposition to Yettinahole project was politically motivated. Navalgund JD(S) MLA N.H. Konaraddi who spoke on the topic ‘Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri- Row and Solution,’ demanded that the literary meet pass a resolution on withdrawing cases against farmers who took part in Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri agitation. He also alleged that the BJP MPs from the State were doing noting to end the row. Melukote MLA K.S. Puttannaiah, Engineer S.L. Shivaprasad and others were present.