the goan I network
PANAJI
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi who hails from Karnataka on Monday opined that a negotiated settlement between Karnataka and Goa was best for both the States on the contentious Mhadei river water sharing dispute.
Joshi said he had already asked the Chief Minister of Karnataka B S Yediyurappa to initiate talks with Goa and that he would today make the same request to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
“Both the Goa and Karnataka CMs should sit and talk to resolve the issue and come up with a negotiated settlement. The Tribunal has given its award which is being challenged in the Supreme Court. I feel negotiated settlement is the best instead of a court decision,” Joshi said.
The two states have been at loggerheads with each other over sharing of water from river Mhadei which originates in Belagavi, Karnataka.
It may be recalled that though the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal has already given its order and the unhappy governments of both the states have moved the Supreme Court challenging it.
The Tribunal had ruled that Karnataka will get 13.5 TMC feet of water from the Mhadei thus putting an end to the 50-year-old water dispute with Goa, by giving an additional 5 TMC water to the southern state.
Joshi said that it is better that the concerned CMs sit and talk and try to resolve the issue. While refuting allegations that Karnataka is continuing work of diverting Mhadei water, Joshi said that there is no question of any state carrying out such work when the matter is subjudice.
Hails govt’s abrogation of Art 370 in J&K as big achievement
PANAJI: Union Parliamentary Affairs and Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi termed the decision of abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as historic and attributed it to one of the bigest achievements of 100 days
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led
government.
“The abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, criminalisation of instant triple talaq and amendment in a law to allow an individual to be designated as terrorist are some of the major path-breaking decisions of the government in the last 100 days,” said Joshi said while addressing media persons in Panaji on Monday.
The minister was in Goa to address the press as part of a campaign of ministers to address the media in different states on the 100 days of completion of the Modi-led part two government.
Joshi said that the government is following a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and had come with an amendment in law to have a provision to declare an individual as a terrorist.
Investigation agencies like NIA are now empowered to conduct search and investigations in terror-related cases in the countries like Sri Lanka which have an agreement with India, added Joshi.
While highlighting the benefits of abrogation of special status to Kashmir, he said that laws pertaining to education, Right to Information, empowerment of SCs and STs, minorities and others will be applicable there.
“The the world community has supported New Delhi’s move and it is an achievement of foreign diplomacy of the Modi-led government,” he added.
The minister said that the government has brought in an amendment in the POSCO Act which has a provision for death penalty for sexual assault crimes.
Forty thousand teachers are being trained to create awareness among students about bad and good touch, he added.
Joshi said the government has also unveiled a roadmap to make India a USD-5 trillion economy by 2024.
He also touched upon the establishment of Jal Shakti Ministry, the National Medical Commission and merger of banks. “Rs 70,000 crore will be released to public sector banks to facilitate them to lend more loans to the needy,” he said.
The minister said every single rural house will have electricity and clean cooking gas connection by 2022.
