PANJIM: Calling the Goa Forward Party (GFP) move a political stunt, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Tuesday ripped apart Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai for approaching the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the Mhadei issue, questioning what the MLA had been doing when the tribunal had given its award last year.
“Maybe, Vijai was busy doing something else,” he quipped, while addressing the media at his official residence after the BJP legislative party wing meeting.
Sawant said he, along with an all-party delegation met Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, on the Mhadei issue, where Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan representatives Rajendra Kerkar and Nirmala Sawant were present.
“Rajendrabab and Niramalatai have spent their own money for the cause of Mhadei, without asking for any credit, but now some new people have mushroomed who want to take political advantage in the name of Mhadei,” Sawant said, hinting towards the Opposition MLAs.
The Chief Minister said that when the Mhadei Tribunal gave its order last year, a Goa Forward Party MLA was the Water Resource Minister. “What did the minister or Sardesai do then? Maybe he was busy with something else…,” the CM said, leaving the statement incomplete.
“The tribunal award was given in 2018, the politician who has gone to NGT now may have had no time to read the award when his own MLA was WRD Minister. If he should have seen the order then and moved SC maybe there would have been no need now,” the CM said.
He further said that the government is serious and sincere on issue. “Every party representative, including Union Minister Shripad Naik and RS MP Vinay Tendulkar spoke to Javadekar. Churchill Alemao, Digambar Kamat, Sudin Dhavalikar and Vijai Sardesai expressed their sentiments,” he said.
Terming the letter written by MoEF&CC as routine, Sawant said it was just at “routine administrative level”.
Sawant explained that the Karnataka Nigam had asked whether they would require EC to which the MoEF&CC replied there was no need for EIA for drinking water project. “The letter also had clear conditions that permissions were required from wildlife board and forest department. They will also have to take environmental hearing in Goa as it comes under buffer zone of Mhadei wildlife sanctuary,” the CM said.
Asked what the State plans further, Sawant said the State had challenged the Tribunal order in April itself. “Now we have asked for the withdrawal of the letter. We have also told them that the matter is in the Supreme Court and no decision should be taken. Even then if they have any urgency, a joint site inspection must be carried out with Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa and the Union Minister has agreed,” he said.
He said Javadekar was sensitive to Goa’s concerns and had assured a decision in 10 days. “We will win Mhadei fight 100 per cent. Let us wait for nine more days and see,” he said.
On the tweet by Javdekar, CM replied, “Tweets are handled by the office and minister does not know everything,” he said.
