The Govt. of Tamil Nadu has convened an all-party meet to discuss the recent verdict of the Supreme Court of India while disposing the review petitions filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala challenging the 2007 verdict of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal.

The apex Court ordered that Tamil Nadu would be provided 177.25 TMC water annually, which is slightly less than the quantum of 192 TMC water proposed by the Tribunal. The Court also came down heavily on Karnataka stating that no river in the country can belong to any one State as they are ‘national properties’. It, however, increased Karnataka’s share of Cauvery water, irking Tamil Nadu farmers.

Opposition parties expressed their disappointment about the verdict and urged the State to convene an all-party meeting. Opposition DMK had, in the meanwhile, announced that it would be holding an all-party meeting on 23rd February (Friday) to discuss the issue, apparently in an effort to put pressure on the Govt. to do so.

Pre-empting the DMK’s plans, the Govt. has now announced that it would be holding an all-party meeting on 22nd February (Thursday) to discuss the fall-out of the Cauvery verdict by the Supreme Court.

Political observers are of the view that DMK’s working president  Stalin has finally come of age by adapting his father and party president Karunanidhi’s tactic of ‘forcing’ the Govt. to do things the way the party wants them to be done!