Chennai : Opposition leaders in Tamil Nadu condemned the central government for its delay in setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as stipulated in the Supreme Court order that wanted the board to become a reality in six weeks.

On Monday Union Shipping and Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari wriggled out of giving any commitment or an assurance over the CMB when a group of journalists questioned him when the minister visited the newspaper office.

Declining to give any assurance over the matter, he said that it was a complex task.

The Supreme Court in its February 16 order directed the central government to set up CMB and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee within six weeks.

Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu are convinced that the centre, ruled by the BJP, was dithering over the issue in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Karnataka, where setting up the CMB is being stiffly opposed.

While Stalin condemned the Gadkari’s views expressed to Hindu journalists in a tweet, PMK chief S Ramadoss said that it was shocking. “It seems as if the central government is washing its hands off the issue,” he said. Gadkari is only reflecting the Karnataka govenrment’s stand. In fact, his views are nothing but contempt of the court, Ramadoss said.

The Congress and the BJP are both cheating Tamil Nadu when it came to Cauvery water dispute, Ramadoss said.

Instead of wasting anymore time, chief minister Edapaddi Palanswami must lead an all-party delegation to Delhi and urge the prime minister to ensure that CMB is set up at the earliest.

The Supreme Court in its February 16 order also reduced TN’s share of Cauvery river water to 177.25 TMC from 192 TMC, which was allocated by the tribunal in 2007.