The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Centre the “last opportunity” to clarify its stand on whether it wants to set up a panel to decide salaries and allowances of MPs, IANS reported. The affidavit that the Centre had filed in the court in September 2017 was not clear on this, the bench of Justices J Chelameswar and SK Kaul said.

The court gave the Centre until March 6 to make its stand clear. It was hearing a petition filed by nonprofit Lok Prahari, which had sought an independent commission to decide salaries and allowances of MPs, Bar and Bench reported.

In its September 2017 counter affidavit, the Centre said the matter was under consideration. “I don’t dispute it,” government’s counsel Ajit Sinha said on Tuesday. “But I request a week’s indulgence to take a final stand.”

To this, the court said, “You may not have a last word, but you may have a last opportunity.” The bench will now hear the matter on March 6.