Thanjavur: The Tamil Nadu PWD Engineers Association has urged the Centre to immediately constitute the Cauvery Management Board without referring it to the Parliament.

Addressing media persons in Thanjavur today, the association’s Thanjavur unit president R. Paranthaman said as per Section 6 of the Inter-state Water Disputes Act 1956, the Centre constituted the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal through a notification on June 2, 1990. Its terms and conditions included the formation of Management Board as per Section 6 A(1) of the Act.

“Once the Tribunal Award is gazetted and issued as notification, it means that the central government has accepted the award and hence the Centre is duty bound to establish the board/control authority in accordance with Section 6 A(1) and 6(2) of Interstate Water Dispute s Act 1956,” Paranthaman said.

Though the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal gave its final award in 2007, it was gazetted only in 2013 after a gap of six years. “The Cauvery Management Board is yet to be constituted,” he added.

In the case of Narmada Controlling Authority, the tribunal gave the award on December 7, 1979. It was published in the gazette on December 12 the same year and the Narmada controlling authority was formed in December 1980 without referring it Parliament.

“Similarly, the Krishna and Godavari Management Board was immediately formed by the Central Government on May 29, 2014 on receipt of final award and its publication in the Government gazette on May 28, 2014 that too without reference to the parliament. Why is then the discrimination against CMB in respect of Tamil Nadu alone,” he questioned.

“According to Article 144 of the Constitution, all authorities including the Central Government and State Legislatures are duty bound by the Supreme Court directions. The failure and stage-managed shows of Karnataka government invites contempt of court and the Centre has to act firmly without disowning its constitutional responsibility,” he said.

Paranthaman urged the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board immediately as done in the case of Narmada, Krishna and Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Awards without discriminating Tamil Nadu alone on extraneous considerations.