Maharashtra, Karnataka CMs & Sharad Pawar should meet over Belgaum dispute: Sanjay Raut
Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar should meet to resolve demands of Marathi-speaking people of Belgaum and nearby areas.
He also said that both the states should accept ruling of the Supreme Court, where a case over the issue is pending since many years. Maharashtra claims Belgaum, part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency but currently a district of Karnataka, on linguistic grounds.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last month appointed ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Eknath Shinde as co- ordinators to oversee his government's efforts to expedite the case related to the boundary dispute with Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Belgaum, located around 490 km from here, Raut said, "The three leaders need to meet to resolve demands of Marathi-speaking people of Belgaum and nearby areas (in Karnakata)."
He also said that the dispute was being heard by the Supreme Court for last 14 years, and both the states should accept the apex court's verdict.
On Friday, Maharashtra minister of state Rajendra Patil Yadravkar, who is the MLA from Shirol in Kolhapur, went to Belgaum to pay tributes to martyrs of the movement for the merger of Marathi-speaking villages there into Maharashtra.
A gathering is organised every year to honour those who died during the first 'Samyukta Maharashtra Andolan' on January 17, 1956.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
