PANAJI
Assuring that his government is ready to take any step to safeguard the State's interest on the Mhadei water sharing row with Karnataka, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday appealed to all legislators to sink political differences and fight as one.
"We may belong to parties of different ideologies but when it comes to the Mhadei issue I will please request you that we should be one," Sawant said.
The Chief Minister was responding to the discussion on the 'Calling Attention Motion' moved jointly by all Opposition MLAs where several charged the government of being lethargic in its response to the issue and Karnataka's attempts to clandestinely divert the river's waters.
"People have apprehensions on the intention of the Government to protect the interest of the State," read a portion of the motion moved by all members occupying the Opposition benches in a scathing allegation against Sawant's government.
"On the Mhadei question only the State's interest will be foremost. My government is ready to do anything that may be necessary," Sawant said.
He also said if found necessary, he is ready to lead an all party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter.
He also informed the House that the Water Tribunal's award has been challenged through a special leave petition in the Supreme Court and additionally the State has sued Karnataka for contempt for diverting waters.
He said although the petitions filed last year were tentatively slated to be taken up by the Supreme Court earlier this month, they haven't figured in the cause list.
Earlier speaking on the motion several Opposition members accused Sawant and his government of submission to the numerically and politically more powerful Karnataka unit of BJP which is ruling that State.
They said the State government's tardiness in handling the issue both legally and politically had been taken advantage of by Karnataka who have already diverted waters of the river causing ecological damage to Goa.
Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Independent Rohan Khaunte, MGP's Sudin Dhavlikar, GFP's Vijai Sardessai, and others who all jointly moved the motion spoke and castigated the government's inept handling of the Mhadei dispute.
