The BJP-led Centre has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of India asking it to clarify what it meant by the word ‘scheme’ in its February 16 verdict on Cauvery river water sharing row.

The apex Court had directed the Centre to set up a Cauvery Management Board within six weeks from the date of verdict and the deadline expired last Thursday (29th April).  As the Centre didn’t constitute the CMB within the stipulated period, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have already filed separate contempt of Court petitions against the Centre.

The Centre now holds that the apex Court had, in its above-stated verdict, not used the word ‘Cauvery Management Board’ but had only said that a ‘scheme’ had to be put in place to ensure that the river water sharing arrangement ran smoothly. Tamil Nadu has interpreted it as the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board, the Centre says.

Karnataka and the Centre contend that the apex Court only referred to a supervisory body i.e. a council to supervise the water-sharing arrangement. As the Karnataka Assembly polls are also round the corner, the Centre reportedly decided to put on hold the process of making a decision on constituting a Board or a supervisory Council.

It is in this backdrop that the Centre has sought the apex Court’s explanation on the word ‘scheme’ and what it sought to mean through the word in its verdict.