BELAGAVI: A day after the Union government’s letter to Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai to start work on Kalasa-Banduri project after gazette notification of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT), Opposition leaders in Goa have stepped up pressure on their government demanding a one day special session of the Goa legislature exclusively to discuss the issue.
Opposition Leader in Goa Assembly and former CM Digambar Kamat not only demanded a special session, but also urged the Goa government to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.
Earlier this week, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar had written to Bommai giving his nod to start work on Kalasa-Banduri project after the gazette notification of the tribunal and necessary forest and wildlife permission.
The Goa opposition leaders (Congress) questioned the need for a letter by the Centre to Karnataka at a time when both the states have moved the Supreme Court challenging the tribunal’s orders, sources said, adding that the Congress leaders in Goa felt that the state’s name was being tarnished in the name of Mahadayi issue.
Sources said, the Goa government will exert pressure on the Centre against giving environment and wildlife permission to Karnataka for the project even as the tribunal has already announced its final verdict allotting Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra their share of water.
According to sources, Goa Water Resources Minister Filipe Nery said in Goa on Thursday that Javadekar’s letter on Mahadayi had no legal standing since the matter will be decided by the tribunal and the apex court.
Forum to protest against MPs
Belagavi: In protest against the alleged step-motherly treatment meted out to Karnataka in Mahadayi issue, activists of Karnataka Navanirmana Sena have decided to “remove water taps” from all MPs of Karnataka on January 16, said state president of Karnataka Navanirmana Sena, Bheemashankar Patil.