Besides the controversy over sharing the Cauvery waters, the sale of sandalwood by Tamil Nadu to Karnataka is developing into a thorny issue. Karnataka is virtually dependent on its neighbour for sandalwood. The price of the best quality of sandalwood at the auctions now is about Rs 9 lakhs per tonne. In a gesture to the large number of artisans using sandalwood in Karnataka, the Tamil Nadu Government used to offer a limited quantity at a reasonable price.