Cauvery scheme: SC to hear Centre's plea on April 9

NEW DELHI/Chennai, DHNS: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea made by the Union government for clarification as well as seeking three additional months to implement the February 16 judgement for framing a scheme to ensure the sharing of Cauvery water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud posted the Centre's application for hearing on April 9 as a counsel referred to divergent views of the concerned states on the issue of setting up of the scheme. "We will take this matter on April 9 along with the plea of Tamil Nadu," the bench said, when the Centre's counsel Wasim Qadri sought urgent hearing of the plea.

The Union government had on Saturday sought three more months' time saying framing a scheme after the announcement of the Karnataka Assembly elections may create massive public outrage over there as it was an emotive issue.

It also sought to know if the scheme to be framed under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act can be at variance from the Cauvery Management Board as recommended by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal in its decision in 2007.

Protests in TN

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam on Tuesday joined the day-long fast observed by AIADMK cadres across the state demanding constitution of a Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

Though their names were missing from the list of leaders to participate in the fast, released by the AIADMK, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam arrived at the venue at around 8 am on Tuesday in Chepauk, hardly a km from Fort St George, the seat of power of Tamil Nadu Government.

Top AIADMK leaders, including all ministers, participated in the day-long fast being observed in 31 districts across the state.

Before ending their fast at around 5.30 pm, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam gave a speech attacking their arch-rival DMK but refrained from attacking the BJP and the Union Government.

Protests on Tuesday intensified as establishments affiliated to an influential traders' body downed their shutters.

DH News Service