CMs of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka to discuss Cauvery issue

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar will meet in Bangalore on Thursday in an effort to find a solution to the Cauvery water sharing row.

The meeting comes after the Supreme Court on Monday asked both the chief ministers to meet and arrive at an amicable solution to the "sensitive" water dispute.

A Tamil Nadu government release said the chief minister will meet Shettar on November 29 and discuss the issue, keeping the farmers' interests in both the states, as suggested by the apex court.

"Why can't the two chief ministers sit together? Give it a try, it is not impossible. We want you to meet in a congenial manner and discuss the issue in the larger interest of farmers from both states," a bench of justices D K Jain and Madan B Lokur said on Monday.

The court said that it is not possible for the Cauvery River Authority, headed by the prime minister, to meet, so the state governments should try to find a solution.

"Try to find out a solution through give and take," the bench said, adding, "The chief ministers should not meet just for coffee but they should meet along with their experts to find a solution".

The court urged both the chief ministers to hold a meeting and posted the matter for directions on Friday.