The Hindu : Jayalalithaa calls for fixed agenda at CRA meetings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 06, 2002

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Jayalalithaa calls for fixed agenda at CRA meetings

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 5. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today called for a "minimum fixed agenda" at the meetings of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) to enable the State to "participate effectively".

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, with copies to the Chief Ministers of the riparian States, Ms. Jayalalithaa wanted a "table of agenda" to be followed at the meetings which would provide for the pleadings and representations of Karnataka to be placed in writing with a copy given to Tamil Nadu to prepare its objections, if any.

Tamil Nadu, she said, was entitled to a minimum of three days to look into Karnataka's representations. "If any rejoinder is to be filed by Karnataka, such rejoinder shall reach Tamil Nadu in time so as to enable it to file any reply. For the reply, another three days should be given to Tamil Nadu."

The CRA meeting could be held one week thereafter, after the completion of all pleadings by the respective parties. "If any of the participant States want to file their representations, the above time factor has to be taken into account."

Discussions in the CRA meeting should be based only on the records submitted earlier by the parties. No new pleading should be entertained at the time of the meeting. The CRA's decision should be in writing and addressed to the respective States within a timeframe, which could be set apart. "However, while the CRA implements the Water Disputes Tribunal's award, it shall give reasons based on the records submitted and not fly off in any tangential manner."

In this context, Ms. Jayalalithaa pointed out that the Union Water Resources Minister, during the past few meetings, "unnecessarily and deliberately used the word `consensus' which had never taken place as far as Tamil Nadu was concerned. His press briefing, if any, shall be only in the presence of a representative of Tamil Nadu and not otherwise."

Also, the minutes of the CRA meeting should be distributed to the participant States within 48 hours of the meeting. The table of agenda should be the table of conducting the business. "Tamil Nadu insists upon it, so as to avoid any claims and counter-claims being made later." There should be minimum procedural wrangling since the CRA's decision affected millions of people in each State. Tamil Nadu wanted a procedural regulation also in respect of business of the CRA, since the Authority had not framed any specific rule or regulation in respect of such meetings though it was envisaged in the gazette notification.

"The State of Tamil Nadu, while respecting the office of the Prime Minister, feels highly disappointed at the manner in which it is being treated by the Prime Minister," she said.

The experience gained in the past few meetings was that on the day of meeting, some oral representations are made by Karnataka and the requirement of Tamil Nadu, made in writing and placed on record, was not fully considered and some via media order was later passed vis-a-vis Karnataka's failure to comply with the order. "Such things ought not to take place in future," she said before detailing the "table of agenda".

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