Karnataka’s cross-examination of Andhra Pradesh witnesses will resume on May 12 before the KWDT, while the Cauvery case will come up in the Supreme Court immediately after vacation. At KWDT, the proceedings have reached a crucial stage as Karnataka will grill AP expert M S Reddy. This is the time when the State should prepare for the battle the best possible way.
However, this, say officials, is simply not possible with over 200 officials of the Water Resources Development Organisation being taken away for election duty. According to government sources, there are hardly any key officials or stenographers to assist the KWDT team. Most of the cars too have been summoned for election duty.
Karnataka Water Resources Principal Secretary L V Nagarajan is said to have written to the Election Commission pointing out that the situation might have an adverse impact on the State in the Tribunal and at the SC.
“We are doing our best under the circumstances,” Karnataka advocate Brijesh Kalappa told Deccan Herald. As for the Cauvery issue which is before the apex court, Tamil Nadu mentioned in the court on Mondayseeking early hearing.
At KWDT however, Karnataka’s fresh problems, come amidst KWDT’s bid to rush things.Sources say the Tribunal wants to complete its work at the earliest and has been pressing the State to speed up with the cross-examination, submission of maps, lists etc. They said this may rob Karnataka of its rights in questioning the verdict of the Tribunal if the need arises. For, if the State fails to present its case before Tribunal now, it cannot do so in the SC because the apex court considers only those aspects presented before the Tribunal.
The Tribunal is speeding up proceedings, according to the sources, because of the five-year time-frame stipulated by the amended Inter-State Water Disputes Act. The KWDT was established in 2003 but it began its functioning only in 2005. Ironically, it was Karnataka which moved the SC seeking to implore the Centre to provide a court hall, chambers for judges and accommodation.
