Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has sought personal intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the immediate appointment of a new chairman to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The vacancy arose by the resignation of Justice N P Singh who quit the post citing poor health.
In a letter to Prime Minister, Jayalalithaa said the Tribunal cannot function with its two members without the chairman as required under Section 4(2) of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
“With several petitions relating to the Cauvery water disputes pending with the tribunal, the state is deeply concerned over the resignation of Justice Singh,” she said.
Though the Tribunal issued a final order on February 5, 2007, allocating the Cauvery Water to the riparian states, it is yet to be notified.
“Meanwhile, the petitions under section 5(3) of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, sought an explanation or guidance by the party states and the Government of India pending before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal since 2007,” she said.
In March 16, 2012, the Government of Tamil Nadu filed a civil miscellaneous petition before the Tribunal to take up the pending applications filed by the party states and the Central Government under section 5(3) of the said Act and dispose off the same at the earliest.
While the Tribunal has issued a notice on listing of the civil miscellaneous petition before the tribunal on April 17, 2012, the matter was not taken up due to the resignation of Justice N P Singh.
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“At this crucial juncture, the resignation of Justice N P Singh as chairman of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has caused deep concern and anxiety in the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu,” she said. She had earlier complained of the alleged stand of Karnataka on not allowing water from Cauvery river as per the final order, while almost 80 per cent of the canal irrigation was to be catered to through the supply.
“In the circumstances, I seek your intervention to appoint a new chairman for the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal immediately,” she said in the letter on Thursday.