PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said there was no question of getting into any negotiations with neighbouring Karnataka outside of the Supreme Court on the Mhadei water sharing dispute.
Admitting that water levels of the Mhadei river have dwindled due to Karnataka's diversion of water at Khalasa-Bhandura where it is building a dam, Sawant asserted no 'out of court' discussions will be held.
Karnataka too is currently ruled by the BJP and the saffron party leaders there have periodically raised the matter.
Interestingly, the BJP Central leadership recently placed, perhaps for the first time, a Karnataka leader CT Ravi to be in-charge of the party affairs in Goa raising eyebrows.
Sawant however insisted there will be no compromise and said he has briefed Ravi about the problem on the latter's maiden visit to the State ad party in-charge.
Coincidentally, the Opposition Congress also got a Goa desk in-charge from Karnataka in Gundu Rao prompting a resurgent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State Convenor Rahul Mahambre to accuse the State's two principal parties of alleged hanky-panky on the Mhadei issue.
... Backs Tanmar power project
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday obliquely imputed political motives and "election agenda of some" for the ongoing agitations even as he staunchly backed the private Tamnar power project inside the Mollem National Park, citing future demand.
"Goa will face power shortage in two year’s time if Tamnar power project work is stopped," Sawant told reporters at a press conference at his official Altinho residence.
The project, to set up a 400 KV sub-station and also draw inter-State transmission lines to wheel power from a plant at Chhattisgarh, will belong to Vedanta-owned Sterlite Power company.
It is the first private sector power transmission and distribution project on Goan soil while all other sub-stations are owned and managed by the Electricity department.
Sawant meanwhile said, BJP MLAs must explain the benefits of the projects to the people.
“Few have election agenda in opposing works,” he said.
Sawant's statement comes a day after BJP State president Sadanand Tanavde publicly censured the ruling party MLAs for standing with the protesters.
The Tamnar power project is one of the three projects threatening protected forests at Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
They are being opposed by a sustained agitation launched by students, greens, wildlife researchers and academicians ever since these were among 40-odd across the Nation to get the National Board for Wildlife nod dubiously in a video-conferencing meet during the lockdown in April.
