AGENCIES
BENGALURU
An-all party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday to resolve the Mhadei water sharing dispute with Goa ended in a deadlock as ruling Congress and Opposition BJP members indulged in accusations even though the Chief Minister said he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the latter’s intervention.
While BJP members wanted Congress leaders to convince their Goan counterparts to allow CM Manohar Parrikar to settle the issue amicably, the JD(S) and the Congress leaders sought the Prime Minister’s intervention for amicable settlement of the dispute.
Karnataka has been appealing to Goa to share 7.56 tmcft of water from Mhadei for drinking water purpose in drought-hit Hubballi-Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot and Belagavi districts. Currently, the issue was pending before the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal and Karnataka is keen on an out-of-court settlement.
Siddaramaiah said he would write to Modi again seeking time to meet an all-party delegation.
Open for talks:
Siddaramaiah
BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was still open for discussions with Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to find an amicable solution to the inter-state Mhadei river water sharing row. “If the Goa Chief Minister responds to my recent letter and calls for a meeting on the issue, I will also make honest efforts to convince Congress leaders there” (to release water to Karnataka), Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting.
