Karnataka govt seeks setting up of bench in SC to deal with Krishna river water dispute
New Delhi, Feb 18: The Karnataka government Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking setting up of a bench to hear a plea relating to the dispute over the allocation of water of Krishana river, flowing in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, after two judges recused themselves on January 10.
A bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud, hailing from Maharashtra, and Justice A S Bopanna, who belongs to Karnataka, had on January 10 recused from the case, arising out of the water tribunal's decision, saying We do not want to be the target of invectives .
The judges, who recused themselves, were upset with the tone and tenor of mails and letters against them for being part of the bench to decide the water dispute.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Karnataka, and said that he will consider setting up the bench for the case.
The bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli, inquired whether the parties can amicably settle the dispute.
Divan said the main issue would require adjudication from the bench itself and some of the ancillary matters may be settled.
I am mentioning on behalf of Karnataka. There is a judicial order of January 10, 2022, passed by a bench of Justice Chandrachud and Justice Bopanna where they have directed that the papers be placed before the CJI in the administrative side for directions. They have recognised and all the counsel agreed that this ought to be listed expeditiously, Divan said at the outset.
We will look into this, the CJI said.
Karnataka had sought the vacation of a November 16, 2011, order of the top court that restrained the Centre from publishing in the official gazette the final order of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II (KWDT) pronounced in 2010, allocating the river water to Karnataka, erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The KWDT had further modified its final order and report on November 29, 2013, to allot surplus water to Karnataka, Maharashtra, and the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh while preserving the allocation of 2,130 TMC already made among them.
The publication of the tribunal order is a necessary precondition for its implementation.
However, following the bifurcation of unified Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had moved the Supreme Court challenging the KWDT's allocation of share.
Karnataka had argued that thousands of crores of its dam and irrigation projects to provide water to its parched northern areas were stalled for all these years because of the 2011 order to not publish the KWDT decisions in the Official Gazette under Section 6(1) of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956.
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Vijayendra hits back at CM Siddaramaiah over demand for PM Modi's resignation
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Saturday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D K Shivakumar should have resigned two years ago, if they expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down over the recent fuel price hike.
His remarks came a day after Siddaramaiah condemned the petrol and diesel price hike, demanding its immediate rollback, and called for Modi’s resignation, holding him responsible for "failing" the people, mismanaging the economy, and pushing ordinary families into deeper hardship.
Rejecting Siddaramaiah's demands, he asked, "Does the Congress and other opposition parties in the country not know why the petrol and diesel prices are increasing? If they demand the Prime Minister's resignation for the hike in petrol and diesel, then Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar should have resigned two years ago."
Speaking to reporters here, he pointed out that the Congress government in the state increased petrol and diesel prices by hiking taxes without citing any reason.
"They have done it four to five times. How many times, then, should Siddaramaiah have resigned? Considering the situation globally and in the country, and the distress situation looming globally, the Prime Minister has advised certain things."
The BJP leader urged the opposition not to oppose for the sake of opposing.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
Vijayendra also dismissed the allegations that the price hike was deliberately delayed until the conclusion of polls in five states and one union territory, and said PM Narendra Modi doesn't make any decision keeping elections in mind.
"Considering the interests of the country, the people, and the poor, he makes appropriate decisions at the right time," he added.
