BELAGAVI: The meeting between a delegation of Goa government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to halt Karnataka from going ahead with the Kalasa-Banduri project on Wednesday evening failed to yield any desired result. Neither Shah nor Shekhawat gave any assurance to the delegation that the approval granted to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Kalasa-Banduri project will be withdrawn.
“Goa CM Pramod Sawant came to meet me along with his representatives. We had a discussion on the issue of sharing Mahadayi waters. Certainly, the issue will soon be resolved,” Shekhawat tweeted. The delegation urged Shah for the formation of a Mahadayi Water Management Authority and withdrawal of the approval given to Karnataka’s DPR, but Shah did not give any assurance or indication to the delegation on halting the process of implementation of Kalasa-Banduri project by Karnataka. According to sources, Shah merely told the delegation that he would “look into the issue”.
Meanwhile, the Ruling and Opposition parties in Goa are embroiled in a slugfest over the Mahadayi issue. “On December 30, Sawant had announced that he will write to PM Narendra Modi demanding the revocation of approval given to Karnataka’s DPR. What happened to the letter? Why did the delegation meet Amit Shah and not Narendra Modi?” questioned Chief of Goa Congress Amit Patkar.
“Local BJP Goa MLAs work as per Fatwa of BJP’s central leadership. Since the PM refused to meet the delegation, the Goa CM made a drama of meeting the Home Minister....,” Leader of Opposition
in Goa State Assembly Yuri Alemao tweeted.
With Goa Legislature session beginning on January 16, the Mahadayi issue is expected to boomerang on the ruling dispensation given the failure of Goa government’s delegation to get a pro-Goa assurance from the Centre. Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has said that he will allow for a special discussion on Mahadayi water sharing issue in the session.
In Karnataka, former CM Siddaramaiah has appealed to PM Modi to announce the Centre’s stand on the Mahadayi issue.