'Provide accommodation to Mahadayi tribunal members'

 The Supreme Court, on Friday, told the Centre to provide residential accommodation to the chairman and members of the Inter-State Water Dispute Tribunal set up to resolve the issues relating to sharing of Mahadayi water among Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra

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A bench of Justices R M Lodha and A R Dave asked Additional Solicitor General H P Raval why the government did not take steps to provide “good accommodation to chairman and members of all the tribunals as they were entitled to be treated as serving Supreme Court judges”.

Advocate A Subhasini, appearing for Goa, submitted that the Rule 6 (2) of the Inter State Water Dispute Rules 1959, clearly stated that the chairman of a tribunal was entitled to such allowances and other benefits as were admissible to serving judges of the Supreme Court.

During the hearing, Raval pointed out that the Cabinet Committee on Allotment (CCA) had, in its meeting on October 6, 2010, considered the proposal of Ministry of Water Resources and permitted location of Mahadayi tribunal in New Delhi.