The Supreme Court on Monday expressed disappointment with the Centre’s failure to provide accommodation to retired judges heading tribunals to decide inter-state disputes, saying the government was neglecting its “obligation” towards the statutory bodies. A bench of Justices R.M. Lodha and A.R. Dave directed the Union government to provide within a week accommodation at a Type VIII bungalow to the chairperson of the tribunal deciding the Mhadei river water dispute between Karnataka and Goa.
Coming down upon the government for its failure to provide him accommodation despite assuring the court, the bench told Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati, “You told us on October 1 that you will give them accommodation within a month. But you have not done that, so we will have to pass an order.”
As the Attorney-General informed the court that the ministry of water resources has prepared a note on providing accommodations and it would soon be placed before the Cabinet, the bench refused to take the note on record, saying, “We can not allow tribunals to remain non-functional in the garb of procedural problems. We are not concerned with your internal business.”
“Such tribunals are statutory bodies and the Centre has some obligations towards them... The work of these tribunals cannot be delayed,” the bench said.
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Protect Indians in bahrain, urges India
age correspondent
new delhi, Nov. 5
Taking serious note of the serial blasts that rocked Manama, India on Monday expressed optimism that the Bahrain authorities would do everything possible to protect the lives and property of Indians living there.
One Indian fell a victim and another sustained injuries in the blasts that is attributed to the growing political and ethnic unrest in the country.
The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “We have seen reports of a series of bomb blasts in Bahrain this morning. We have also been informed that one Indian has been killed and another injured in the blasts. We strongly condemn the violence. We conveyed our serious concern to the authorities in Bahrain.”
He added, “We hope and are confident that the authorities in Bahrain will ensure security to our citizens living and working in Bahrain.”
Out of the five blasts that ripped through the capital of Bahrain, one exploded near the Indian embassy and they were promptly condemned by the Bahrain government.