Cauvery issue on Parliament

The Cauvery issue is expected to generate much political heat in Parliament in the coming days as Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will meet MPs belonging to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to decide on the format and date of discussion in Parliament, a move which has been vehemently opposed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

An all-party delegation of MPs from Karnataka met Chatterjee last month seeking an early debate against the backdrop of the final award of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal. Karunanidhi, whose DMK is key ally of UPA, shot off a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressing apprehension that any debate on the issue in parliament could "add fuel to the prevailing unwanted situation.

" The tribunal, which allocated 270 TMC Ft of water to Karnataka, has directed it to ensure release of 192 TMC Ft to Tamil Nadu annually, which gets 419 TMC Ft as its share. The award is being seen by Karnataka as an "injustice" and it wants to raise the issue forcefully in parliament. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads for several years on sharing of the river waters. Opposition AIADMK and MDMK MPs met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week seeking early notification of the tribunal`s final award in the gazette.