PANAJI
Despite assuring the State Legislative Assembly to convene a meeting of the House Committee on Mhadei before February end, WRD Minister and Chairman of the Committee Subhash Shirodkar is waiting for the “right time”. It is learnt that no meeting will be held before the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in April/May.
More than a year after the 12-member House Committee was constituted to study the contentious issue related to Mhadei water diversion, it has met just once on February 8, 2023.
During the recently concluded Budget Session, the Minister, conceding that the matter is “pertinent to every Goan” had assured the House to convene the meeting before February 29.
However, when contacted, Shirodkar refused to comment on the issue and said that the meeting will be called at the “right time”. “The meeting will be called at the right time. Will let you know once the date is finalized,” Shirodkar told The Goan.
Sources informed that with BJP leaders busy with the election preparations, the Mhadei issue has taken a backseat.
“The Supreme Court has fixed the next hearing only in August and so the BJP government in Goa is in no mood to take any decision on the Mhadei, at this point, that could affect the party's poll strategy in Goa or Karnataka. We can expect a meeting only after parliamentary elections,” sources said.
While Goa has got just two Lok Sabha seats, Karnataka has 28 MPs which are crucial for the Narendra Modi led NDA to maintain its momentum for 2024 polls.
The House Committee has members from across all parties -- BJP, Congress, MGP, GFP, AAP, RG and Independent MLAs too.
Since the constitution of House Committee in January 2023, Goa has risen up stunned and shocked with actions from Karnataka, yet the response has been nothing.
The State, whose more than 50 per cent of the population depends on Mhadei River for its survival, is just banking on the special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal Award of 2018 coupled with contempt petitions against Karnataka.
At the first House committee meeting it was decided to appoint a panel of consultants and experts of national repute to study the consequences of the diversion of the Mhadei to Goa. However, down the line, neither consultants nor experts are taken on board. While Goa is moving at a snail pace, Karnataka has stunned Goa with various acts.
Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd (KNNL) has floated the tender for completing the Kalasa project within a year. This was followed by Karnataka State Board of Wildlife granting permission for acquisition of forest land for diversion of Kalasa Nala to Malaprabha basin.
