Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) activists have criticized the Goa government for its lackadaisical approach to the water dispute with Karnataka.
They say that the triple engine Sarkar, which consists of a BJP government in Goa, Karnataka, and the center, has not done anything to protect the state’s interests and that there appears to be a secret plan to allow Karnataka to divert the Mhadei’s waters.
The government’s handling of the current legal dispute was condemned by a number of MBA members, including Nirmala Sawant, Rajendra Kerkar, Adv. Bhavanishankar Gadnis, Adv. Avinash Bhosale, and Prajal Sakhardande.
Sawant specifically questioned the efficacy of Goa’s representation at the Supreme Court, pointing out that the Goa sent a team of 17 officials who returned before the case was heard, even though the Mhadei issue was listed as item number 117 on the court’s cause list. Representatives from Karnataka did not show up for the hearing.
“This implies that the administration is putting on a show and deceiving the Goan populace by making exaggerated claims to save Mhadei” Sawant claimed.
Sawant also criticized the government’s expenditures on legal expenses, pointing out that during the previous five years, Rs 3.2 crore had been spent on legal fees that had not benefited Goan citizens. She added that rather than using Goa Bhavan, the Goa delegation chose to fly in business class and stay in upscale hotels, which begged the issue of what the administration’s priorities were.
Concerned about the government’s lack of action on the Tiger Reserve problem, eco-warrior Rajendra Kerkar said that if the government truly wanted to save Mhadei, it would have notified the Tiger Reserve in accordance with a High Court decision. “Their refusal to act and challenge the court’s decision demonstrates a lack of intent to save the Mhadei river,” Kerkar said
Speaking about the 2023 agitations, Prajal Sakhardande expressed doubts about the government’s dedication to the cause and questioned their efficacy. Sakhardande said, “It looks like we’ll need to start another agitation to make any progress.”
All of the MBA representatives concurred that the Goa government’s carelessness is directly responsible for the Mhadei case’s delay rather than Karnataka or the Supreme Court. They called on citizens to hold the government responsible.
