HUBBALLI: Former chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday held Congress responsible for the setback in the Mahadayi project and alleged that the party choosing to go before the tribunal delayed the project by 8-10 years.
He told reporters that it was not necessary to move the tribunal, which was constituted when Congress Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was in power. This was the biggest mistake by Congress, he added.
Congress gave in writing to the tribunal and that walled off the project. That party is infamous for creating such walls in drinking water projects. While BJP built the canal, Congress built the wall. Congress was opposing the project whenever it was in power in Goa. But the permission for a detailed project report was given when BJP was ruling Goa.
Now, the project is stuck awaiting environmental clearances. The ministry has sought some documents, which should be provided by the state government. If that is done, the state BJP will put pressure on the Union government to okay the project. Congress had called for tenders without permission from the environmental department. That is the reason the Goa government has moved the Supreme Court, he added.
He urged the state government to argue effectively in court regarding the Krishna, Mahadayi and Mekedatu projects. There was a tribunal order related to the Krishna project in 2010, but Congress never filed the challenge petition. It went behind Maharashtra, which had filed the writ petition.
To allegations that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Basavaraj Bommai are misleading people, Bommai said people know who is telling the truth. Are Congress leaders Satya Harishchandras, he asked.