Team Herald
PORVORIM: The discussion about the Mhadei dispute in the Assembly on Tuesday witnessed the Opposition MLAs hurling questions and accusations at Goa CM Pramod Sawant, taking the government to task over its lackadaisical approach to the matter, especially pertaining to its legal battle in the Supreme Court.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao questioned the Chief Minister over the fact that Goan officials are unable to visit the site of the Kalsa-Bandura project site. “In your reply, you stated that a physical visit to the site is not possible as Karnataka police are physically obstructing Goan officials and have even detained officials from Goa when they visited the site. This proves that the enforcing authorities have failed, but the CM of Goa still travels to Karnataka and speaks in favour of the BJP government there,” he said, calling Sawant ‘the star campaigner’ and challenging him to boldly announce to the people of the neighbouring State, that he would not allow the Mhadei
to be diverted.
Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira remarked that the Goa government has not achieved any headway in their battle, as they have not presented a strong case to the Supreme Court.
“When the Supreme court order came, there were celebrations that we had won the matter and the stay application. Today, we realised, from the reply given, that the court held that there was no reason to entertain the IA and accordingly disposed the IA. This means we got no relief in the Supreme Court,” said the MLA. Ferreira also pointed out that the last order on the contempt application filed by the Goa government was in 2021. “We are informed that other matters pertaining to the river water dispute between Goa and Karnataka are due to appear before a bench presided over by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud; let this contempt petition be listed before the same bench,” he appealed to the CM.
Ferreira voiced his apprehensions that the diversion of the river would be detrimental to various activities from the basin of the Mhadei to its mouth- from agriculture and drinking water needs to the functioning of the Water Resources Department and Captain of Ports, especially with the proposed Mhadei Prawah authority and the Mormugao Port Authority staking their claim over the two major water bodies that form the lifeline of the State.
