The Centre is yet to take a decision on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s request, made in April to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for appointing a new Chairman to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal after Justice N.P. Singh resigned his post on health grounds.

As a result, the Tribunal is unable to function to decide on Tamil Nadu’s applications seeking certain directions against Karnataka government. Within days of Justice Singh’s resignation, Ms. Jayalalithaa sought the Prime Minister’s intervention. She said that as per Section 5A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the Tribunal proceedings could continue only if a person was nominated as Chairman.

Forest Bench says statutory clearance is a must

The Forest Bench of the Supreme Court on Friday made it clear that no iron ore mining operations in Karnataka shall be permitted to resume unless there was statutory clearance for mining and till reclamation and rehabilitation was implemented in full. The Bench, comprising Justice Aftab Alam, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar, took the decision after the Central Empowered Committee in its August 16 report said “no further direction is required regarding sale of iron ore and/or resumption of mining operations by Category A mining leases.”

Respond to TN plea for convening PM-headed Cauvery River Authority

The Supreme Court, while expressing displeasure at the lack of sensitivity on the part of the Centre on the Cauvery issue, has directed it to respond to Tamil Nadu’s plea for convening a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority, headed by the Prime Minister. When senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, insisted on a direction to Karnataka to release water, a Bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur said it would pass orders after getting the responses of the Centre and that State, due in 10 days. Further hearing is posted to September 3.

It wants health booklets and smart cards issued to patients

To ensure proper implementation of the relief and rehabilitation programme and regular health care facilities for the Bhopal gas leak victims, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that all medical records of patients be computerised and health booklets and smart cards be issued to each victim. A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar gave this directive on a petition filed by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sanghathan.

Asks Centre, M.P. to go by recommendations of monitoring and advisory committees and NIREH

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union government and Madhya Pradesh to take immediate steps for disposal of toxic waste lying in and around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal in six months. A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar said this should be done on the recommendations of the Empowered Monitoring Committee, the Advisory Committee and the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH).

Petition challenges converting new secretariat complex in Chennai into a hospital

The National Green Tribunal here on Tuesday admitted a petition by advocate R. Veeramani, challenging the environmental clearance given by the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to convert the new Legislative Assembly cum Secretariat complex in Chennai into a hospital. A Bench of Justice M. Chockalingam, Judicial Member, and R. Nagendran, Expert Member, after hearing senior counsel P. Wilson for the petitioner and Additional Advocate General Guru Krishna Kumar for the State, issued notice to the Tamil Nadu Government and posted the matter for further hearing on September 27.

The Supreme Court will hear on August 17 Tamil Nadu’s application for a direction to the Centre to convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority immediately to perform its statutory obligations and approve the distress sharing formula evolved by the Cauvery Monitoring Committee, in view of the distress situation in the State.

A Bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur fixed the date after senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, sought an early hearing. Initially Mr. Justice Jain told counsel it would not be possible for the court to direct the Prime Minister to convene the CRA. Mr. Vaidyanathan said that the court could make a request to the Prime Minister and cited past instances.

The West Bengal Government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the June 22 order of the Calcutta High Court striking down the law intended to reclaim Singur land leased out to the Tatas and to give a part of it back to farmers who were yet to receive compensation for it.

The State in its appeal said “despite possession being handed over to the Tatas and its approved vendors, the small car project could not be set up by them”. It pointed out that on October 31, 2008, the company wrote to the Government saying that it did not intend to use the land for the project.

Supreme Court warns gives three weeks to States that are yet to issue notification

To protect tigers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday banned all tourism activities in the core areas of the tiger reserve forests. A Bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and Ibrahim Kalifullah passed the order on a petition filed by conservationist Ajay Dubey that sought a directive to the States to notify the buffer and peripheral areas of the tiger reserves, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, to prevent tourism in the core areas.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of Justices passed this order

The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Tamil Nadu to carry out repair and maintenance works on the Mullaperiyar dam in the presence of the Superintending Engineer of Kerala and an independent member nominated by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission. A five-judge Constitution Bench of Justices D.K. Jain, R.M. Lodha, Deepak Verma, C.K. Prasad and Anil R. Dave passed this order on an application filed by Tamil Nadu for a direction to permit it to undertake certain maintenance works.