PORVORIM: Leader of the Opposition Pratapsing Rane on Thursday told the State Legislative Assembly that the Maharashtra and Karnataka governments have joined hands against Goa in the Mhadei inter-state water dispute issue.
“Both the State’s are fighting to divert water from Goa. In Maharashtra we have a BJP government and in Karnataka the Congress Party is ruling. Both have joined hands against us before the Mhadei tribunal. We too need to be united here,” Rane appealed to the MLAs.
“Why are we fighting here? We all need to be united against these two States,” the former chief minister said, after BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral informed the House that the previous State government had played a dirty game allowing Karnataka to divert water.
“No elected representative here, whether ruling or opposition, will ever agree to what Karnataka is demanding. They are high-handed. We cannot give a drop of water to Karnataka as they have enough water in their reservoirs. Diversion of water will lead to destruction of our ecology. Karnataka has dispute with every State,” Rane stated.
Speaking on Cabral’s claim, Rane said that at the time when Goa was a Union Territory, the Central government had deputed a Karnataka cadre officer as water resources engineer, who had agreed to Karnataka’s demand. “However, successive governments including mine, had objected to it and we kept a strong vigil,” he said.
Earlier, Cabral had said that then secretary Rajiv Yaduvanshi via a communication dated January 10, 2007 had requested the Centre to process the setting up of a tribunal by deleting the State government’s contention that no water will be allowed to be diverted. The communication was placed on the Floor of the House.
