5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Goa CM's Mahadayi remark an insult to Kannadigas: CM Siddaramaiah
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that his Goa counterpart Pramod Sawant's recent statement in the Goa Legislative Assembly that Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav informed him that the Union Government will not give its nod for the Mahadayi river diversion project (also known as Kalasa-Banduri project) is an insult to the people of Karnataka. Siddaramaiah said that they will fight legally, politically, and morally until Karnataka gets its rightful share.
'Why hasn't the Union Government officially communicated any concerns? Is this how federalism works under BJP? Backdoor sabotage, silence, and betrayal? What crime have Kannadigas committed? Are we being punished for not surrendering to the BJP?' the CM said. Mahadayi is not for luxury or waste, it is for the drinking water needs of North Karnataka, he said. 'For decades, our people have waited for justice. But BJP's and JDS' Karnataka leaders have no spine to speak up. Their silence today will be remembered tomorrow. Despite the 2018 tribunal verdict allocating 13.42 tmcft of water to us, the Centre, hand in glove with Goa's BJP govt, is blocking the implementation of our rightful project,' the CM added.
Meanwhile, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil expressed shock over Sawant's statement. Speaking to the media in Vidhana Soudha, Patil said that Karnataka will discuss the Mahadayi issue during the monsoon session of the legislature beginning August 11. Sawant had reportedly said that his government will move the Supreme Court, alleging that Karnataka has taken up activities on its territory that amount to sub judice.
'We are shocked by the official statement made by Goa CM Pramod Sawant in the Goa Assembly that Union Minister Bhupendar Yadav has informed him that the Centre will not approve the Mahadayi project for any reason. The Mahadayi water dispute was settled by a tribunal under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, which gave a final verdict that was published in the Central Government Gazette. The verdict of the tribunal has come into force,' Patil added.
