Team Herald
PANJIM: Following the Central Law Ministry’s order to withdraw permission given to Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni to appear for Goa in the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal, State Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention.
Pointing to the letter from Union Law Ministry, the CM said, “ANS Nadkarni has been consistently representing Goa in Mhadei matter since its reference to an independent tribunal by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”
Further, he said the permission is withdrawn as it escaped notice to consider that it is an inter-state river water dispute. “There are several instances wherein the law officers of the Union of India have been permitted to appear against the State government. Cases in this regard are well known and have been highlighted in media,” he said in the letter.
Parsekar said that the peculiar circumstances appearing in the present matter namely that the dispute is very sensitive, significant and important for the state and its interests.
“The dispute is voluminous and runs into several thousands of pages and that Mr Nadkarni has been associated with the same since its inception in 2002 then being the AG of Goa,” Parsekar adds.
He says that at this juncture when the dispute is at an advanced stage to bring in a new person and replace the team would be not only a very tough and difficult job but rather grossly unjust for the State to be denied permission.
“This is not a case wherein the Union of India has lent in Law Officer to appear against the State of Karnataka. This is a case where in the case of continuity and consistency and for proper and smooth handling of dispute this arrangement is required,” he said.
Parsekar said that the objections raised by Karnataka are only to deprive Goa of advantage of same lawyer appearing for the State. “I may mention that under the rules relating to Law Officers there is no bar nor any kind of prohibition for the Law Officer of the Union of India in appearing in the matter of this type. Further there is absolutely no conflict of interest with Union of India,” he said.
Parsekar also criticised the Union Law Ministry’s letter as a step taken under political influence without even taking the views of Goa. “River Mhadei is the lifeline of Goa which Karnataka for best known reasons wants to divert to a completely different basin for purpose of sugar cultivation despite having so much of water in the State itself,” he says.
Hence, Parsekar adds, “At this juncture it is virtually impossible for the State of Goa to engage any other lawyer who will have such depth, touch and acquaintance of the matter as well as location.”
Therefore, he adds, “I request your good self to kindly intervene in the matter and recall the decision of the Ministry of Law dated February 3, 2017 and restore the permission granted vide letter July 11, 2016.”
