Uttar Karnataka Vikas Vedike is gearing up to stage a dharna by involving various associations representing farmers, besides progressive groups and social organisations, to pressure the government to make sincere efforts to resolve the Mahadayi water dispute amicably with Goa and Maharashtra, ahead of the winter session of the legislature to be held here in November.
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Disclosing this at a press conference here on Saturday, Vedike convenor Ashok Pujari said in the light of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal asking Chief Ministers of the three riparian States to solve the dispute through discussions, the Karnataka government was expected to make fresh moves in that direction. The need of the hour was to create a congenial atmosphere and an ideal platform to bring Chief Ministers of Goa and Maharashtra for discussion.
The Vedike will mobilise various organisations and stage dharna in Belagavi city soon to exert pressure on the government to grab the opportunity facilitated by the Tribunal and try its best to find an out-of-court settlement of the dispute and provide the elusive succour to the people of North Karnataka who had been agitating for over 25 years for water for drinking and irrigation purposes.
To a question, he attributed the Tribunal's adverse verdict to the improper arguments. The Tribunal's first page referred to Karnataka’s claim of Mahadayi water for ‘irrigation purpose as against ‘drinking’ purpose. Also, the State had not provided details on infrastructure available to utilise water allocation (if any).
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Mr.Pujari, who is a prominent leader of BJP in Gokak taluk, did not answer the question that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a political ploy by asking for consensus among Congress units in three riparian States and party high command at Delhi.