NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The first round of talks of the Chief Ministers of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka over the Mhadei water dispute which had been scheduled for Friday in Mumbai has been postponed.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has declined the proposal of his Maharashtra counterpart Devandra Fadnavis for the meeting, citing his prescheduled commitments
In a letter addressed to Fadnavis, Parsekar said, “I regret to inform that on account of certain important prescheduled commitments in the state, I will not be able to attend this meeting.”
Parsekar has requested his Maharashtra counterpart to suggest a few dates to hold the meeting after a fortnight.
“I would request that this meeting is convened after a fortnight and a few dates for the same may kindly be suggested in advance so that a suitable date may be mutually agreed upon and the meeting fixed accordingly,” he stated in the letter.
However, senior officials in the state government observed that if the meeting does not take place before the end of November then the possibility of three Chief Ministers meeting is bleak.
“If elections are declared and Goa is placed under code of conduct by the Election Commission then the meeting will not take place until the new government takes charge,” an official said.
On October 13, following the advice of the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal, Fadnavis had written to Parsekar inviting him for the first round of talks on October 21 in Mumbai.
The tribunal had advised the Chief Ministers of all the three states – Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra – to explore possibilities of reaching an amicable solution through talks.
Despite reservations voiced by political parties in the state, Parsekar had decided to meet his counterparts of Maharashtra and Karnataka on the issue, maintaining that the interest of the state will not be compromised at any cost.
UNI ADDS FROM HUBBALLI: Activists involved in the struggle for completion of the Kalasa-Banduri nalla project across Mhadei river, on Thursday took objection to Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar not attending the meeting called by Maharashtra Chief Minister to resolve the issue outside the court.
The protesters in the city came down on the street near Rani Chanamma Circle shouting slogans against Parsekar. They alleged that Goa government was averse toward amicable settlement of the issue.
The protesters warned that they would intensify agitation. They also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner asking him to put pressure on the Goa government for early settlement of the issue.
Leader of Opposition in Karnataka legislative assembly and BJP leader K S Eshwarappa urged the intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the water dispute.
Addressing media persons, he said that Gandhi should direct the Opposition party in Goa to get actively involved in resolving the issue. . The Congress party sitting in Opposition in Goa has no real interest in solving the issue.
“There is need for involvement of the Congress and other political parties on the issue in order to find an amicable settlement of the drinking water project,” he said.