SC asks Centre to fill vacancy

KRISHNA WATER TRIBUNAL

New Delhi: A two-member bench consisting Justice Deepak Mishra and Justice Praful C Pant, here on Tuesday, adjourned the Krishna River Waters Dispute case to September 30 while directing the Centre to fill the vacancy in the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal at the earliest, so that the dispute could be resolved faster.The Centre communicated to the apex court that it would fill the vacancy in one week.

Additional Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, said the delay was attributable to the apprehensions expressed by some States over the appointment of Judge from Karnataka to the Tribunal. Judges were bound to be from one State or the other, the Centre would anyway take into consideration the views of the petitioner states in this regard.

While Maharashtra reiterated its stand that the dispute should not be extended to other than Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State as the problem was between the two states, Andhra Pradesh continued to argue that there should be a project-wise revision of the allocations in view of the bifurcation of the Telugu States.

The Bench observed that the job of the Tribunal would become easier if there was clarity on whether it should go for a total revision or decide the issue as a matter between just the two Telugu States. It was firm that there should be no delay in filling up the vacancy to the Tribunal. A Karnataka sitting judge's name is under consideration of the Centre in this regard it is learnt.

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