Odisha govt withdraws SLP in SC related to Vamsadhara tribunal

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 26:

The Odisha government has withdrawn its special leave petition (SLP) from the Supreme Court seeking removal of Justice Ghulam Mohammad from the Vamsadhara water dispute tribunal.

The Odisha government in a written  application informed the division bench comprising Justice TS Thakur, Justice R Bhanumati, Uday Umesh Lalit in this regard.

The state government withdrew its SLP since Justice Ghulam Mohammad is a now a resident Telegana.

Andhra Pradesh’s construction of a side channel weir at Katraguda over river Vamsadhara was opposed by Odisha.

To solve the Odisha-AP water dispute, Supreme Court in 2010 had established Vamsadhara tribunal under chairman Justice Mukundakam Sharma, Justice B N Chaturvedi, Justice Ghulam Mohammad.

Questioning the impartiality of the trial, as Justice Ghulam Mohammad was then a resident of AP and a former justice in Andhra High Court the Odisha government had appealed to the chairman of the tribunal to remove him from the bench. This was rejected by the tribunal.

Therefore, Odisha government in September 2012 in Delhi High Court had filed a Special Leave Petition.  But after the SLP was rejected by the High Court, the state government had knocked the doors of the Supreme Court.

Odisha government in December 2012 filed an SLP in the highest court in India. While the case was going on, AP was divided and Telegana state was created. The Telengana government said that Justice Ghulam Mohammad was now its resident.

Therefore, the Odisha government has withdrawn its SLP. The next hearing of the tribunal has been scheduled in 3-4 May.