The Supreme Court on Monday granted two weeks to the Centre, Assam government, and others "as a last chance" to file their replies on a batch of pleas which have raised the issues concerning the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the state.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said if the replies are not filed within two weeks, the apex court would proceed in the matter, reported The Indian Express.
The report stated that the counsel appearing for one of the petitioners told the bench that notice was issued earlier in the matter but no replies have been filed and the delimitation exercise is going on.
The bench in an order said, "We will hear you after the reply. If reply is not filed in two weeks then we will proceed without the reply," said the bench, which also comprises of Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian. At the request of counsel appearing for the respondents/states, as a last chance, two weeks' time is granted to the respondent-states to file reply affidavit. Put up thereafter," the order said.
Some of the petitions in the apex court have also raised the issue regarding the process of delimitation in Nagaland and Manipur.
One of the pleas, filed by two Assam residents, has claimed that delimitation exercise in the state is sought to be conducted on the basis of census 2001 despite the fact that census 2011 has already been conducted.
It said that delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam be deferred until the completion of Census 2021 so that the most recent population figures are available for this exercise.
The top court had earlier agreed to hear the plea seeking quashing of this year's February 28 order which "rescinded" an earlier notification of February 8, 2008 that had deferred the process of delimitation for Assam.
