Former Goa deputy CM and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Sudin Dhavalikar on Monday demanded the summoning of a five-day assembly session to discuss key, pressing issues confronting the state which includes the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing inter-state dispute over water of the Mahadayi river.
In a letter to Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Dhavalikar, who had served as a cabinet minister in the previous ruling dispensation led by late Manohar Parrikar, also slammed the BJP-led Goa government for mishandling of the pandemic, which the Opposition MLA said, had led to unwarranted fatalities.
“One of the most important and burning issue is that of the Mahadayi (also referred to as the Mhadei in Goa) water basin which is yet to see a ray of hope in favour of state and depriving the state right shall cause disaster and ecological imbalance,” Dhavalikar said in her letter to Koshyari, who is holding charge as the Governor of Goa.
Last month, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry had allowed the processing of Karnataka’s plans for the Kalasa-Banduri water diversion project, which the Goa government had objected to.
Goa and Karnataka are battling out a two-decade-long dispute over the sharing of the Mahadayi river in the Supreme Court, after both parties expressed reservations about the award by the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal in 2018.
Goa has also opposed the diversion of water from the Mahadayi river basin through the Kalasa-Banduri project claiming it would cause “ecological devastation” and increase the salinity in the waters of the Mahadayi river.
“Mining issue is another major issue of the state whereby the entire state economy of the state is at stake thus leading to unemployment, financial bankruptcy, etc,” Dhavalikar also said.
The former Deputy Chief Minister also slammed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for mishandling the pandemic.
“I would like to reiterate on the Covid-19 pandemic issue which has slipped away from government control due to inadequate infrastructure specially dedicated Covid-19 hospital with comorbidity patients, Covid care centres, specialised equipments machinery for testing as well as treatment, ultimately fatality graph ascending at alarming rate,” the letter said.
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