BELAGAVI: In a clear signal that Goa government would act tough in the Mahadayi dispute, it has now decided to approach the Supreme Court against Karnataka. The decision comes ten days before Mahadayi water tribunal is going to begin the hearing.On Monday, Michael Lobo, BJP MLA and Deputy Speaker in Goa Assembly, hurled a list of accusations against Karnataka, including diversion of water from Mahadayi to Malaprabha basin. The accusations come a day after Lobo along with Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Savanth visited the Kalasa-Banduri project site in Kanakumbi of Belagavi district.
The deputy speaker said that he will be tabling a resolution in the upcoming Goa assembly, which is expected to begin on February 19. “I will table the resolution in the upcoming assembly elections as Karnataka is already releasing water from Mahadayi dam site to Malaprabha basin. I have visited the site along with our speaker and its clear that Karnataka has made all the preparations to release water to Mahadayi. They (Karnataka) have also put control gates and water flow to Goa has already been reduced. The dam construction is holding 50% water in the tributaries to Mahadayi,” he alleged.
Political pundits in Goa attribute the sudden change in the attitude of Goa BJP to inter party conflict in the government. The Water Resource Minister Vinod Palyekar, who is part of the government and member of Goa Forward Party has got into conflict with Goa BJP members after Goa CM Manohar Parrikar promised Karnataka BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa that talks can be held between two states.
“But Palyekar was of the opinion that Goa was inching close to winning the case against Karnataka before the tribunal. This move from Parrikar and Yeddyurappa could be attributed to the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. The rift between parties in Goa government increased after BJP President Amit Shah held a meeting of Parrikar and Yeddyurappa in New Delhi. The announcement from the BJP in Goa is the fallout of that meeting,” said Raju Naik, senior political writer from Goa.
Ashok Chandargi, President, Belagavi District Kannada Organisations Action Committee, said that the Michel Lobo’s statements against Karnataka over releasing water are are lies. “Lobo’s accusations are baseless and false. Goa is trying to mislead and misguide the tribunal. Besides the legal battle, Goa is now politicising the issue by raking it up in the Budget session of Goa. It has been cleared by state water resource minister M B Patil after his recent visit to Kalasa-Banduri site. But still MLAs from Goa are trying to portray a wrong picture of Karnataka before the tribunal,” he said.On Tuesday, Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Savanth is expected to present a report to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar after his Sunday’s visit to the project site in Belagavi.