PANJIM: The newly-formed apolitical forum Mhadei Bachao Andolan (MBA) on Thursday demanded for a white paper from the BJP-led government on the steps initiated by it to protect River Mhadei, whose water is into litigation before the judiciary for more than a decade now.
Addressing media persons, MBA coordinator Subhash Velingkar charged the BJP government of surrendering Goa’s interest before the party’s interest on the Mhadei water diversion issue.
“Goa and Central government are committed to allow diversion of Mhadei water to Karnataka for political gains,” he said.
Alleging that State government’s action towards Mhadei issue has been “bogus” and “ineffective”, Velingkar demanded that it releases a white paper on the steps initiated before judiciary to protect Goa’s interest.
“Time has come when the government needs to make public, a white paper on the efforts they have taken to ensure that Mhadei river water is not diverted to Karnataka or Maharashtra,” he said.
Velingkar also announced the launch of their peaceful protest and demonstration across all 12 talukas from November 25 to December 9 to create awareness on river Mhadei amongst people and to mount pressure on the State and Central governments to withdraw the consent letter granted to Karnataka’s Kalsa-Banduri project.
Earlier in the day, MBA met convenor of Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan Nirmala Sawant, who was of the view that the State government cannot be trusted anymore to defend the State interest, said MBA coordinator Elvis Gomes.
Gomes said that the Andolan members came across a startling revelation of a Supreme Court Order passed on August 17, 2017, which had restrained Karnataka from carrying out any work on either the Kalsa or the Banduri project.
He said that Goa government should have hauled the State of Karnataka as well as the MOEFCC for contempt of the Supreme Court (SC) order for going ahead with the work in total defiance of the order by granting the consent.
He alleged that perhaps the friendly posture adopted through the letter of support by then Chief Minister (late) Manohar Parrikar written to the then BJP Karnataka President BS Yeddyurappa during the Karnataka Assembly polls in 2017, had allowed the Karnataka government to defy the SC order and carry on with the work.
