Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: Stating Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant is out just to protect his chair and he was well aware of the Project Feasibility Report and the DPR of Khalsa-Bandura projects by Karnataka, Goa Forward supremo Vijay Sardessai came hard on the government, saying Chief minister should sell Goa to Karnataka.
Sardessai was speaking attending a well-attended meeting of ‘Save Mhadei Save Goa’ at Chaudi Canacona, also attended by Fr. Bolmax Pereira, Sankhali Municipal Council Chairperson Rajesh Sawal, Tara Kerkar, Adv Pratima Coutinho, Janardhan Bhandari Prashant Naik, Rama Kankonkar, Shankar Polgi, and others.
In his typical style, Sardesai addressing a public meeting in Canacona slammed Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and his government for misleading Goans on the Mhadei issue.
He stated that though Pradhan Mantri addressed a road show in Belgaum, he did not speak to Mhadei, ‘And why should he? The decision to divert ‘Mhadei’ to Karnataka has already been finalized by the BJP-led central government. His No.2 (Home Minister) has already exposed Dr Pramod Sawant by stating Karnataka Chief Minister Bomai and the central government has already solved the vexed Mhadei issue in consultation with the Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’.
“The Central engine of the BJP has ignored and disregarded the appeals made by the Goa government”, Sardesai stated while accusing the state government of distracting Goans away from the Mhadei issue till the Karnataka elections, by organizing various events in the State, such as Ramdev’s yoga event during Carnival and Chief Minister’s visit to Andaman in a private jet.
Referring to information procured under RTI by Goa Forward Party, Sardesai stated that the government was aware that Karnataka had submitted the pre-feasibility report for the Kalsa and Bhandura projects that the report was shared with Goa Government on 11th November 2022. Still, the government did not object to the PFR or the DPR. He stated that Sawant was afraid to lose his CM’s chair, which is why he did not take any action to object to the PFR and the DPRs of Karnataka’s project.
The first sacrifice of the Save Goa Save Mhadei Movement is Sankhali Municipal Chairperson Rajesh Sawal’s wife. As Rajesh is active in Save Mhadei Movement, Chief Minister Sawant has taken revenge by transferring his wife from Panaji to Sanguem’, stated Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai.
Speaking further, Sardessai said, ‘The government thinks speaking on Mhadei is anti-national and now an Officer with the education department has issued a circular to schools to refrain from participating in the awareness program scheduled on ‘Save Mhadei, Save Goa movement’.
Earlier, Fr. Bolmax Pereira, after explaining a few finer aspects of the DPR issued by the Centre to Karnataka and the eco and environmental damages Goa will suffer. Fr. Bolmax said people will not achieve anything if they only speak bad things or wrong of the government.
“It’s 3.9 tmc of water allowed to be diverted to Karnataka, the entire Mhadei cannot be taken away by anyone including the central or Karnataka governments. Indeed, Goa has a strong case in Court, but there are serious doubts about handling this case. The Wildlife act 1972 under section 39 protects these protected areas; no dam nor river can be diverted. We are not against the government, but we can’t trust this government either.
Blaming the Chief Minister and the BJP party for putting the State in this fiasco and now blaming other parties, the Speaker’s called on the government to gift the Mhadei river to Karnataka and also shift themselves to Karnataka if the Goa BJP has so much love for their Party (BJP) to win the Karnataka Assembly elections to come in two months,” he said.
Saying this government run by Bharat Jhalanewali Party (BJP Tara Kerkar said 90% of Mhadei is gone, given away by this ‘Sawantwadi Sarkar’.
Janardhan Bhandari said this government doesn’t believe in democracy and wants to continue with dictatorship as their way and dared BJP to come forward and agitate to show their love for Mhadei.
Ex- CMC Chairperson Rajendra Dessai, criticizing the absence of the CMC Chairperson and supporting councillor at the meet, congratulated the large participation by Kankonkars. Councillor Shubham Komarpant is the only councillor to attend.
Prashant Naik- calling PRAWAH is a way to fool people when the government has violated the Status quo several times and dared Canacona MLA to visit Karnataka to campaign for BJP. “I will put up Surajipisal posters in-case of any Goan going to Karnataka to canvas for BJP
Adv Pratima Coutinho- said, ‘if you are trying to sell Mhadei, u too, along with your ministers, go to Karnataka’.
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