New Delhi, April 9: The Supreme Court on Monday heard the Centre’s plea to extend the deadline for framing a scheme to implement its judgment in the Cauvery water dispute case. In its recent decision, the top Court has asked the authorities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to maintain peace in their states till the Court finalises the scheme for implementation of its judgment. The next hearing on the decade-old river water sharing dispute will be held on May 3. As per reports, the Centre to file a draft scheme on the same day.

Meanwhile, reports state that IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Monday said the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) games at their homeground in Chennai will go ahead as per schedule.  “IPL2018 matches in Chennai will be held as per the schedule. Adequate security measures have been taken. IPL should not be dragged into political controversies,” said Shukla. Earlier in the day, the Thamizhaga Valvurimai Katchi president T Velmurugan said that his organisation would not cause any harm to cricket players but would democratically stage protest against the IPL matches in Chennai.

The Supreme Court also heard the Tamil Nadu government’s petition, seeking contempt action against the Centre for failing to set up the Cauvery Management Board on time. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud reserved the hearing for Monday on the Centre’s plea, after its 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 had said earlier.

A petition filed by Tamil Nadu said, "this plea was filed to “protect the interests of the farmers and the larger interests of the State”. “The central government was duty bound to take steps to facilitating implementation of the judgment by itself deciding and taking necessary action to constitute the machinery as per the mandate…”, it said, and added that “it (Centre) has not taken any concrete steps in this regard.”

The Supreme Court on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin. The top Court said that the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal” and directed the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgment on water dispute. The Court also modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007. The Tamil Nadu government, however, alleged that the Centre has failed to implement the order of the top court which had given the latter six weeks to frame the scheme.

Earlier this month, the Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu led by the DMK, organised a bandh against the Centre’s failure to frame a scheme to implement the Cauvery water-sharing agreement set out in the February 16 judgment. The AIADMK government moved the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Centre for its “wilful disobedience” in not implementing the verdict.

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth said it would be good if organisers stopped the games as such a gala event would be embarrassing when the entire Tamil Nadu was agitating. The veteran actor suggested Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team players could play in the city wearing black bands as a mark of expressing the anguish of people who have been staging protests demanding setting up of Cauvery Management Board.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2018 01:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).