Cauvery water sharing issue: Karnataka govt to hold all-party meeting on Aug 23

Bengaluru, Aug 20 (PTI) The ruling Congress government in Karnataka is convening an all-party meeting on August 23 to discuss the Cauvery water sharing issue in view of the low inflow of water into the reservoir due to poor rains.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said some MPs have also been invited to attend the all-party meeting on Wednesday.

“It is our bounden duty to protect our state because the farmers of Karnataka feel they are not getting water. Rains are also not so good. I think the flow (of Cauvery river) in the reservoir has come down. So we want to discuss this issue on Wednesday. We have called an all-party meeting on Wednesday,” Shivakumar told reporters.

He said the government is cautious as the hearing on Cauvery issue will come up at the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Shivakumar, however, blamed the opposition for politicising the Cauvery issue.

“We want to respect farmers, we want to respect farmers, we want to respect court, we want to respect everyone but some BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) friends are trying to make it a political issue,” he said. PTI GMS GMS ANE