PANAJI: In light of the statement made by Union home minister Amit Shah on Mhadei, Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai has demanded an urgent meeting of House Committee on Mhadei. Sardesai wrote to Water Resources minister Subhash Shirodkar on Sunday to also demand that the committee should summon chief minister Pramod Sawant before the House committee so that Sawant’s role can be examined.
Sardesai said that Shah’s claim about the Mhadei river dispute being resolved with the Goa government’s support is “deeply shocking and extremely disturbing” and needs to be probed.
“Take cognisance of these developments urgently, and convene the meeting of the House Committee on Mhadei without any loss of time to get to the bottom of this sordid issue involving the Goa chief minister and his party, and also summon the chief minister before this House Committee,” said Sardesai in his letter.
Sardesai said that Sawant has not disputed Shah’s statement nor issued any statement clarifying his role in the settlement with Karnataka over plans to divert water from the Mhadei river basin to the Malaprabha basin.
“This is a serious turn of events. Taken along could only mean connivance and complicity. Amit Shah has placed on record... that Pramod Sawant endorsed, approved and, perhaps even advocated, the diversion of Mhadei waters for Karnataka's farmers at the cost of Goa's drinking water needs,” said Sardesai.
Sardesai, who is a member of the House Committee, said that the government owes an explanation to the people of Goa, on what really transpired in Delhi when Sawant and a delegation of ministers met Shah.
