PANAJI
The Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud, has acknowledged Goa's plea for an early hearing of its interlocutory application (IA) on the Mhadei matter and its listing on the Apex Court's Board, possibly next week, is awaited.
Goa's Advocate General Devidas Pangam said, the CJI agreed to the plea for an early hearing of the IA when it was mentioned on Friday, hoping that it will be listed early, possibly next week.
"He (CJI) has accepted our request (for early hearing)," Pangam said.
The IA filed by Goa seeks that Karnataka be restrained from going ahead with the Kalasa and Bandhura water diversion projects based on the clearance granted to the DPRs by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The decades-old Mhadei dispute with Karnataka erupted again recently after the CWC's approval to the two detailed project reports (DPRs) to divert 3.9 tmc ft of the river's waters to the Malaprabha river basin with dams at Kalasa and Bhandura.
The timing of the approvals, ahead of the Assembly elections due in Karnataka this year has lent the row a political colour with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which incidentally is in power both in Goa and Karnataka as well as at the Centre, accused of milking the issue for electoral gains.
The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government, especially has come in for severe criticism and accused of failing to protect of Goa's interest and taunted by the Opposition over its much-touted 'double-engine sarkar' .
At the political level, the Sawant government succeeded in getting the Opposition on board and pass an unanimous resolution asking that the Centre to withdraw the CWC nod for the DPRs and also forming a House committee to strategise on Mhadei.
At the administrative level, the State has written to the MoEF&CC and other statutory authorities of the Central government cautioning against clearances to Karnataka citing statutes under the Wildlife Protection Act.
