PANJIM: The Goa government on Tuesday formed a special Mhadei River Dispute Cell under the WRD. Experienced executive engineer Dilip Naik will now be the authority for all Mhadei-related matters.
WRD Chief Engineer and ex-officio additional secretary to the government, P B Badami issued the order of the constitution of the cell within one working day of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s assurance that the government will set up a special Mhadei River Water Dispute Cell.
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According to the order, the office of the executive engineer IX along with its sub-division will now function under the Mhadei River Water Dispute Cell and the executive engineer IX will be called as executive engineer (Mhadei Cell).
The executive engineer will coordinate directly with the office of the Advocate General on all matters relating to the Mhadei River Water Dispute Cell and take necessary action for appropriate approval of the govt.
Executive engineer Dilip Naik is closely associated with the case as well as the planning of the projects of the Mhadei basin and is acknowledged as an authority and the go to man, for any Mhadei-related issues.
The concept of having a special dedicated Mhadei Cell was Sawant’s idea and that of Water Resources Minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues, who mooted the idea and brought it into reality to show they are serious about the Mhadei issue.
During the discussion on demands for grants in the Assembly on July 29, Rodrigues informed members that the govt will soon constitute a special cell headed by an experienced officer from the department, to keep a close watch on Karnataka’s moves of damming and diverting the Mhadei river water and its tributaries thereby posing a threat to the interest of the State.
