Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday stated in the Assembly that the state would make no compromise on the ongoing Mhadei river diversion dispute and would not withdraw its legal challenges under any circumstances.
Sawant’s statement came in response to Opposition concerns over the Mhadei dispute and recent remarks by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
The session began with a Calling Attention motion moved by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and other Opposition MLAs. The Opposition benches raised concerns over Karnataka’s continuing efforts to divert the river, which
they stated could cause irreparable damage to the flow and ecology of the Mhadei river basin.
Alemao and other Opposition MLAs demanded that the government take immediate action to protect the river, which serves as a lifeline for the state.
The Opposition also accused the “double-engine” BJP government of failing to safeguard Goa’s interests effectively. They questioned the efficacy of the Mhadei Prawah, alleging that its intervention had so far yielded no tangible benefits for Goa.Questions were also raised regarding the functioning of the House committee constituted to examine the Mhadei issue and why the proposed joint inspection of the Kalasa-Bhandura diversion project had yet to materialise.
Responding to the allegations, Sawant rejected any suggestion that the state was softening its stance.
“No one has personally asked us to withdraw the Mhadei River diversion case,” Sawant said on the floor of the House.
He also said, “Even if someone does, we will not listen to anyone.”
Addressing recent comments by Joshi, who had urged the Karnataka government to withdraw its pending Supreme Court cases to expedite project clearances, Sawant stated Goa’s legal position remained unchanged.
He said the state’s legal panel and the Advocate General are working tirelessly on the matter. The CM said, “We will fight this case till the end.”
Sawant also informed the House that the Goa government had already been seeking permission for a joint inspection of the Mhadei river diversion. He stated the government would continue to pressurise authorities to conduct a thorough inspection of the Kalasa-Bandura Project to document any illegalities.
Additionally, Sawant stated that he, along with officials from the Water Resources Department, would soon meet Prawah to formally place Goa’s environmental and hydrological concerns before the authority.
