PM assures setting up of tribunal to settle Mhadei issue

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2007-01-08
PANAJI- The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh on Wednesday assured the all-party Goan delegation that the central government would soon look into the matter of setting up a tribunal to adjudicate the dispute on Mhadei river water diversion between Goa and Karnataka.
Dr Singh told the Goan delegation that he was aware of the dispute between the two neighbours as he was briefed about the issue during his last visit to Goa some time ago and that he would pursue the matter with the Water Resources Ministry and the minister heading it, Mr Saifuddin Soz, to expedite the setting up of tribunal to resolve the differences between the two states.
Earlier the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, who led the delegation brought to the notice of the Prime Minister various violations by Karnataka despite directions to stop work on the project by central authorities and the Supreme Court.
Dr Singh was also informed of the seriousness of the Goans to the issue and that was sought to be conveyed through the all-party delegation that consisted of all political parties in the state including the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Besides the Chief Minister, the delegation comprised of the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, the Water Resources Minister, Mr Filipe Neri Rodrigues, the Panchayat Minister, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar, the PWD Minister, Mr Churchill Alemao (all Congress), the Revenue Minister, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza (Nationalist Congress Party), the Health Minister, Mr Vishwajit Rane (independent), the Transport Minister, Mr Ramkrishna Dhavlikar (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party), Mr Atanasio Monserrate (unattached) and Mr Francisco D’Souza and Mr Milind Naik (both Bharatiya Janata Party). Mr Shantaram Naik, member of the Rajya Sabha was also present.
The Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh, Water Resources Secretary, Mr Rajiv Yaduvanshi, Chief Engineer WRD, Mr Sandeep Nadkarni and two superintending engineers of the WRD were also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister also met the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath and urged him to denotify the three notified Special Economic Zones in the state. Mr Kamal Nath assured the Chief Minister to look into the matter and take appropriate action.