MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Opposition parties have alleged that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his government had betrayed the people of Goa and the State on the issue of the diversion of Mhadei water.
They alleged that the Chief Minister was a partner in approval to divert Mhadei waters as per the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Belagavi on Saturday. The opposition members have demanded that the Chief Minister should be called by the House Committee to depose before it.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, said, “We should stop indulging in theatrics. If the State government is serious about protecting Mhadei then they should resign first followed by all MLAs resigning en masse creating a constitutional crisis. Then only the Government of India, which is playing politics will realise how serious is Mhadei issue.”
He said, “The Centre has sold tiny Goa for the interest of bigger State Karnataka.”
Aldona Congress MLA and former Advocate General Carlos Alvares Ferreira said, “Ministers Subhash Shirodkar and Nilesh Cabral have been honest to speak. But it is Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who needs to clarify on the statement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief Minister cannot authorise others to speak on the Mhadei issue. Only Chief Minister can tell what transpired between him and his bosses in Delhi that Amit Shah made that statement.”
Goa Forward Party president and MLA Vijai Sardesai said, “Amit Shah’s latest statement in Belagavi has confirmed what Goans knew all along; a foul play by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his government on Mhadei matter that has led to the meek surrender of our rights over Mhadei to Karnataka and the loss of the river for Goa forever. Sawant neither disputed Shah’s words nor issued any statement clarifying his role in what Goans see as a cruel betrayal of Goa and its people.”
Sardesai demanded that the meeting of the House Committee formed to study issues related to River Mhadei should be convened soon so as to get to the bottom of the sordid issue involving the Chief Minister and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Benaulim AAP MLA Capt Venzy Viegas said that Amit Shah’s statement that the Centre took Goa Chief Minister into confidence to resolve the Mhadei dispute exposes Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and demolishes his bravado that his government will fight and succeed in preventing the diversion of even a single drop of Mhadei water.
“How many more lies will the Chief Minister manufacture to save his face? Any self-respecting chief minister would step down. We will fight with even more vigour now because we know who the enemies of Mhadei are,” said Viegas.
Former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane said, “Mhadei is Goa’s lifeline and we have agricultural activities along the banks of the river. If it dries up then we will suffer. Karnataka cannot divert Mhadei waters as it will have a negative impact on flora and fauna of Western Ghats and Goa’s fragile ecosystem.”
