Goa CM rejects demand for White Paper on Mahadayi

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday rejected a demand made by the Opposition for presenting a White Paper on the steps taken by the BJP-led coalition government in Goa, to secure the state’s interests in the ongoing inter-state dispute with Karnataka over the waters of the Mahadayi river.

Sawant also said, that there was no question of the Union government favouring Karnataka - a political heavyweight compared to Goa which sends 28 MPs to the Lok Sabha as against two MPs from Goa - in the inter-state water dispute, which has been dragging for more than two decades.

“There is no need for a White Paper... The Opposition is responsible (for the Mahadayi conundrum),” Sawant told reporters on Wednesday, accusing senior Congress leaders of mishandling the issue early on.

When asked to respond to accusations made by the Opposition that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government was favouring Karnataka in the dispute, Sawant said: “That is their opinion.”

On Monday, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, as well as other opposition MLAs, had demanded a White Paper on the steps the Goa government has taken to secure the interests of the state in the ongoing dispute.

Political heat linked to the Mahadayi issued has stepped up once again after the Supreme Court last week allowed notification of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal’s award following a Karnataka’s plea. The Opposition claimed, Goa’s counsel “did not even oppose” in the Supreme Court.

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.