BELAGAVI: THE Kalasa-Banduri dam construction site at Kanakumi in Belagavi district seems have become rallying point for politicians and officials from neighbouring Goa for the last one month. Two weeks after Goa Water Resource Minister Vinod Palyecar’s visit to the spot raised a furore, another team, led by Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Savanth, paid a visit to the site on Sunday around 11.30 am. He was accompanied by the Deputy speaker, MLAs of different political parties, a media posse and police officials from Goa.
While many pro-Kannada outfits and farmers’ associations deplored the development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was restrained in his reaction. The Karnataka government has, however, expressed its displeasure over the manner in which leaders and officials from Goa are ‘secretly’ visiting the project site violating protocol and keeping it in the dark. Water Resources minister M B Patil said Karnataka will complain against Goa at the appropriate forums and the state’s legal team has been put on the job. This is the third such visit by a Goa delegation after a team of engineers and the water resource minister came visiting Kanakumbi.
The ‘unofficial’ visit by the Goa delegation comes two weeks after Karnataka Water Resources minister M B Patil visited the site with a media team. It is learnt that the Goa government had convened an all-party meeting last week after which it was decided to pay another visit to the site. The team inspected the construction site and took photographs and videos.
They also spoke to the security personnel at the site. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was restrained in his reaction. With Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal set to resume its hearing next week, he said that he had instructed the officials not to stop the Goa delegation. He further said he had instructed district officials to co-operate with the Goa delegation as per protocol.