RATNA BHANDAR AT JAGANNATH TEMPLE TO BE INSPECTED ON APRIL 4

BHUBANESWAR: After a gap of 34 years, the treasury of the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri, believed to be storehouse of hundreds of valuable jewels and gold ornaments, would be inspected by 10 people wearing gamchha(loincloth). Chief administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration, Pradeep Jena on Monday said the inspection would happen on April 4. No devotees would be allowed inside the temple during inspection. The inspectors would review only the structural stability of the Ratna Bhandar and not the jewelleries kept inside. “The people entering the Ratna Bhandar will have to take off their clothes and then wear a gamchha. They would be subjected to frisking both at the time of entry and exit. They will not be allowed to carry any of their personal belongings inside,” said PK Jena, chief administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Tamil Nadu government’s contempt petition against the Centre for not setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), which it said was “in violation” of the top court’s February 16 judgment.

The court had set a six-week deadline for the Centre to frame the scheme constituting the board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. The deadline ended on March 29.

“We understand Tamil Nadu’s difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue. List the matter for April 9,” the bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, told the counsel for the state when an early hearing for the petition was sought.

Tamil Nadu contended that the central government was “bound to give effect to the judgment by framing a scheme so that the authorities under the Scheme are put in place within six weeks and the decision of the Tribunal as modified by this Court is implemented”.

The top court by its February 16 verdict had reduced the Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water from 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), which was less than 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007. On the other hand, Karnataka’s share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC.

Karnataka has, however, in a letter to the Centre, objected to the board’s constitution, contending that the SC’S directive