Cauvery issue: Now, Centre seeks modification of SC order on setting up management board

Bengaluru: In a major setback to Tamil Nadu, the central government on Monday challenged the Supreme Court's recent ruling in which it had directed the Centre to constitute Cauvery Management Board. 

"The Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to order setting up of the Cauvery Management Board," Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a bench comprising Justices Dipak Mishra and UU Lalit.

"This is a legislative function and the court does not have jurisdiction over the matter. The Cauvery Water Management Board cannot be constituted as stipulated by the court," Rohatgi added further.

The court will now take up the matter for hearing on Tuesday, according to media reports.

On September 20, the Supreme Court had directed the Union government to set up by October 4 the Cauvery Management Board, which will make an assessment of ground realities in the river basin areas and report back to the court by October 6. The court had given the Centre four weeks to form the board on the ongoing Cauvery water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Rohatgi had then agreed to the court's direction to constitute the Cauvery Management Board, as directed by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. The bench directed Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala to nominate their members to the board by Saturday.

In the meantime, the apex court questioned the Karnataka government on not releasing water to Tamil Nadu despite its repeated orders. The state has been asked to apprise the court by 2 pm tomorrow whether it has released water.