A day after Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wrote to Karnataka BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa expressing willingness to talk on the Mahadayi water sharing issue, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday wrote to his Goan counterpart, asking him to convene a meeting at the “earliest”.
Reminding Mr. Parrikkar that he had written earlier seeking a meeting on the issue but had not received any response from Goa, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the matter was “urgent” since tribunal’s final hearing begins in February 2018.
Earlier in the day, Irrigation Minister M.B. Patil clarified that the Karnataka government was ready for talks with Goa but with the condition that the neighbouring State should allow use of 7.56 tmcft of water for drinking purposes which has been claimed by Karnataka. “The Chief Minister is willing to go to Goa, cutting short his Statewide tour. But if Goa keeps postponing the meetings or adjourning or prolonging the issue over several meetings, then it becomes pure politics. We don’t want that.”
“We are heading towards an election year and the code of conduct is likely to come into force by March. We don’t want any pro-people project to be delayed because of the code of conduct. That is why we are forcing Goa to expedite the matter,” the Minister said.
‘Swallowing the insult’
“Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has written a letter to the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, MP, which is not according to protocol. However, we are overlooking the protocol violation in the interest of the people of the State. We are also swallowing the insult meted out to us by Goa Water Resources Minister Vinod Palekar who described our attempts at holding talks with Goa about Mahadayi issue as ‘dirty politics’,” said Mr. Patil.
