Team Herald
PANJIM: As the BJP-led government in Karnataka is strengthened, with the party having swept the by-polls, the oposition in Goa has said that there are ‘no more excuses left’ to keep the Mhadei water diversion issue hanging.
Goa Forward Party (GFP) president and MLA Vijai Sardesai and Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, who had claimed that the Central government’s clearance to the Kalasa-Bhanduri water diversion project to Karnataka was to please the voters, have questioned whether ‘Goa will get justice now’.
Soon after the election results were declared, the MLAs took to social media to put across their views and demands on the Mhadei imbroglio.
“Now that the MoEFCC letter dated October 17, had paid off, will we at least now get justice for Mhadei with the letter getting rescinded?” Sardesai questioned. “Or will the clearance get further strengthened and confirmed signalling death knell for Mhadei and Goa? No More Excuses now!” he added.
Khaunte, on the other hand demanded an immediate solution to the issue. “Congratulations to the winners of the by-polls in Karnataka. The now stable government should work for best interests of people,” he tweeted. “Goa CM has no more excuses left. An immediate solution to Mhadei must be worked out,” he added.
The Porvorim MLA also said that they will not compromise on the Mhadei issue at any cost and will ensure that justice is done.
The 15-day deadline set by the State government to get justice on the Mhadei issue ended on December 5, with no response coming forth from Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. Herald attempted to contact the Chief Minister, but he remained unavailable.
The MoEF&CC letter to Karnataka, informing that the Kalasa-Bhanduri project does not attract Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, had sparked a storm in the State, with the opposition and environmentalists blaming the Centre and State government for compromising on Goa’s interests in the wake of the Karnataka by-elections.
