The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Centre for not filing its affidavit on a petition which sought regulatory guidelines to control the “unpredictable fluctuations” in airfare and ancillary charges imposed by private airlines in India.A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked the Centre to file an application along with an affidavit giving reasons for why the affidavit has not been filed and why further time was sought for it.On November 17 last year, the top court sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea by social activist S Laxminarayanan, who sought a robust and independent regulator that ensures transparency and passenger protection across the civil aviation sector.As soon as the hearing commenced on Thursday, the counsel appearing for the petitioner said no reply had been filed by the Centre yet.The Centre’s counsel referred to the evolving situation in the Middle East. “What is this? What prevents you from filing an affidavit,” the Bench asked. The Centre’s counsel said they were contemplating framing rules.”You file an affidavit and place everything on record. Why can’t you file an affidavit? What is this stand of the Union? Three times we have granted you time,” the Bench said. The Centre’s counsel requested that three weeks time be granted to file the affidavit.The Bench refused to grant three weeks time and said the affidavit be filed next week. “You file your affidavit and say whatever you want to say. Your affidavit must come by next Friday (May 8),” the Bench said.On February 23, the Centre told the apex court that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was actively considering the issues raised in the plea.While hearing the matter on January 19, the top court said it would interfere with the “unpredictable fluctuations” in airfares and flagged the exorbitant rise during festivals.The top court had termed the exorbitant rise of airfares by the airlines as “exploitation” and asked the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to file their replies on the plea.