Question

To adjudicate on any dispute relating to inter-State rivers or inter-State river valley, the ____________________.

• A. Supreme Court only is empowered under Article 131 of the Constitution
• B. High Court of concerned State enjoy concurrent jurisdiction
• C. President of India only has power to decide
• D. Parliament is empowered to establish Tribunal and to the extent jurisdiction of the Supreme Court may be extended

Answer 1

The correct option is D Parliament is empowered to establish Tribunal and to the extent jurisdiction of the Supreme Court may be extended

Article 262 of the constitution provides for the adjudication of inter-state water disputes. It makes two provisions:

(1) Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution, and control of waters of any inter-state river and river valley.

(2) Parliament may also provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court is to exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint.

Under this provision, the Parliament has enacted two laws- the river boards Act(1956) and the Inter State Water Disputes Act (1956)

The Inter-state Water State Dispute Act empowers the Central government to set an ad-hoc tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute between two or more states in relation to the water of the inter-state river or river valleys.