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Centre submits draft Cauvery management scheme in Supreme Court

The Centre on Monday submitted draft Cauvery management scheme in Supreme Court, a week after it was taken to task by the top court for not framing the scheme on river water sharing between four southern riparian states.

The Supreme Court had warned the Centre on May 8 that it was in “sheer contempt” of its February 16 verdict by not framing the scheme to ensure smooth distribution of water between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, took on record the draft scheme submitted by the Union Water Resource secretary and said it would peruse it.

“We need to examine whether the said scheme is in consonance with our judgment,” the bench said, adding that it would consider and approve the scheme on May 16.

The apex court said that it will not go into “correctness of the scheme” and rather confine itself to whether the scheme was in consonance with its February 16 judgment.

The apex court had in its February verdict asked the Centre to frame the Cauvery management scheme, which also included creating the Cauvery Management Board, within six weeks for the release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry with a caveat that the deadline cannot be extended.

Earlier on May 8, it had directed the Secretary of the Union Water Resources Ministry to appear before it with the draft scheme.

The harsh comments of the top court came after Attorney General K K Venugopal said the Union Cabinet has not been able to meet to approve the draft scheme as the leaders, including the Prime Minister, were busy in the ongoing poll campaign in Karnataka. He also said the Cauvery issue would be placed before the cabinet soon.

“You (Centre) are in sheer contempt,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said when the Tamil Nadu Government alleged that the non-framing of the policy was a blatant violation of the crucial judgement in the Cauvery case.

“We do not want to come back to square one. Once the judgment has been delivered, it has to be implemented,” the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

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