Team Herald
PANJIM: Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Friday appealed to all MLAs in the State to tender mass resignations with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant taking the lead in submitting resignations of all legislators to send out a strong message to the Centre over the Mhadei water diversion issue and to protect State’s interest.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress House, here, Alemao said, “Central government only believes in numbers. This is the only way that they should realise that Goans are united.”
“Let Chief Minister Pramod Sawant take the lead in submitting resignations of all 40 MLAs to protect Interest of Goa on river Mhadei,” Alemao said.”
“Let him (Sawant) walk the talk on Mother Mhadei,” adding, “Let the Union government know that all 40 Goa MLAs are united on this issue,” the Congress leader added.
He further said that the approval for Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Kalasa and Bhandura projects by the Central Water Commission (CWC) is victory for Karnataka and demanded to extend the duration of the ensuing winter session of Goa Assembly with a full-day to discussion on the Mhadei issue.
Charging the BJP for always compromised interest of Goa on Mhadei, Alemao said, “Let the government table all documents pertaining to Mhadei in Assembly. I will talk to all Opposition MLAs also to take a collective stand on the issue.”
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar pointed out that former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar was the first person, who compromised with Karnataka on Mhadei by writing a letter to then BJP leader B S Yediyurappa to give political advantage to BJP in Karnataka. Documents prove that BJP Central leadership always gave an upper hand to Karnataka and local BJP leaders in Goa kept quiet, he said.
Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa demanded that the eight defectors who were raising voice on Mhadei when in Congress should speak now. Why are they silent? he questioned. He furrther said that Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik should now shelve his “Water Export Policy” and adopt “Water Import Policy”.
Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said, “We will explore the option to challenge the decision of the Central government in the Court. Successive BJP governments always celebrated on Mhadei. Former Water Resource Minister Vinod Paliencar was also responsible for the mess of Mhadei.”
Congress Party will lead the protests taking along all Goans in case the Chief Minister fails to take proactive and quick steps to bring a stay on the decision of the Central government, the Congress leaders said.
