PANJIM: In what could tighten the noose around for Karnataka in the Mhadei water dispute, Goa government has taken strong objection to its neighbouring State government’s move in paying its witness Prof A K Gosain to depose in the Tribunal.
Gosain, a professor with IIT in Delhi, one of the witnesses before the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT), has allegedly been paid Rs five lakh to prepare relevant reports and secondary information besides Rs 50,000 for expert deposition and Rs 25,000 for any discussions in Delhi or Bangalore.
According to the documents shared with Herald, Gosain who has been found to be making contradictory statements during the ongoing cross examination, is also being provided air conditioned transport and boarding and lodging, all at the cost of the Karnataka government. Interestingly, he is being paid a lump sum amount since 2014. “In the matter of MWDT, the following professional fee and other facilities are approved for Prof Gosain to depose as an expert witness before the Tribunal on behalf of the State of Karnataka and to participate in the discussion with the technical and legal teams with effect from March 15, 2013,” states a Karnataka government order.
The Inter State Waters of the Water Resources Development Organisation, Karnataka had suggested taking services of Gosain, (Civil Engineering, Prof of Hydrology IIT New Delhi) to depose as an expert witness before the MWDT on behalf of the State. The letter further states that the Chief Engineer informed about Gosain agreeing to carry out a study on the “Yield of the Mhadei Basin”, to file an affidavit and to depose as an expert witness. Gosain’s name was then included in the list of witnesses before the Tribunal.
Senior Counsel for Goa, Atmaram Nadkarni, has informed the Tribunal that he will raise this issue ‘which goes to the basic root of admissibility of the expert evidence’. Goa Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande and the Chairman of Bar Council of Maharashtra-Goa have also endorsed the objection.
