Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami is scheduled to attend the NITI Aayog (the re-constituted erstwhile Planning Commission of India) meeting on 02nd May but it is not known whether he would get to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Cauvery row as the Centre is to file details of an ‘action plan’ on the issue with the Supreme Court by 03rd May.

Wide-spread protests have erupted across the State, led by political parties as well as non-governmental organizations, asking the Centre to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to supervise the water-sharing arrangement between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.  The Centre, though, hasn’t made a certain call on the issue apparently with an eye on the impending Karnataka Assembly polls to be held on 12th May.

The chief-minister assured some time back that the AIADMK regime was seriously looking into the CMB issue and would pressurize the Centre accordingly to get things done in Tamil Nadu’s favour.  The Supreme Court had directed the Centre a few weeks back to file with it the action-plan or scheme it had mind to ensure that Cauvery water is shared as per order dated 16th February passed by the apex Court in this regard.

It is rumoured that the chief-minister has sought an appointment to meet the prime-minister on the evening of 01st May in New Delhi ahead of the NITI Aayog meeting to urge the Centre to consider Tamil farmers’ pathetic plight before filing its reply with the apex Court.  However, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has so far not granted an appointment to the chief-minister to interact with the Prime Minister.