PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday asserted that the Goa government would never compromise on the contentious Mhadei water dispute with Karnataka and would leave no stone unturned to safeguard the State's interests.
Replying to an extensive discussion in the Legislative Assembly, Sawant said the government was pushing for an inspection of the diversion works undertaken by Karnataka and intended to complete the exercise within this month before placing its findings before the Supreme Court.
The debate was initiated through a calling attention motion moved by Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao and AAP MLA Venzy Viegas.
Describing Mhadei as Goa's "lifeline", the Chief Minister said the government remained committed to protecting the river and was actively pursuing all legal and constitutional avenues available to the State.
"We will not compromise on Mhadei," Sawant told the House, while assuring members that the matter was being closely monitored at every stage.
He said the State would seek permission from PRAWAH for the proposed inspection of the diversion works. If required, the government would approach the court to facilitate the process.
Sawant also informed the House that a joint meeting of officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD) and PRAWAH would be held on Thursday to discuss issues related to the diversion of water by Karnataka.
The Chief Minister maintained that the government was taking all necessary steps at the administrative and technical level to protect Goa's rights over the inter-state river and ensure that its concerns were effectively represented before the courts and relevant authorities.
Earlier, Opposition members launched a sharp attack on the government, accusing it of handling the issue in a casual manner while Karnataka allegedly continued with diversion activities.
Alemao, Viegas and other Opposition MLAs alleged that Karnataka was proceeding with its works clandestinely and questioned whether the State government was doing enough to counter the developments.
