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Context
Cauvery matter is once again before Supreme Court
Why another round of litigation in Cauvery dispute?
- Tamil Nadu has moved the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Centre for not complying with the direction to frame a scheme to implement the water-sharing arrangement set out in the February 16 judgment
- The Centre has sought three more months and some clarifications in the court order
Difference of opinion b/w Tamilnadu & Karnataka
- While Tamil Nadu wants the ‘scheme’ envisaged by the court to mean nothing other than the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, mentioned in the Tribunal’s final award
- Karnataka says there is no reference to a ‘board’ in the apex court’s order, and that the Centre could frame a scheme different from that described by the Tribunal. It contends that the apex court envisaged a ‘dispute resolution body’, and not the ‘management board’ favored by the Tribunal
Assurance by CJI
In the latest hearing the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, observed that the term ‘scheme’ mentioned in the judgment did not refer to only a ‘board’. He also assured Tamil Nadu that the court would ensure that it was not deprived of its share of Cauvery water
Conclusion
The Centre’s actions should not amount to undermining the finality of the highest court’s judgment and should aid its implementation
