From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld News Network

Panaji, Mar 4: The busy schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of ongoing UP elections which will be followed by his foreign trip has scuttled Goa government’s plan to seek his intervention in the ongoing water dispute of the state with Karnataka.

Goa government had sought appointment with the Prime Minister to seek his intervention over the transfer of dispute between the state and Karnataka over diversion of Mahadeyi water from ‘Mahadeyi Water Dispute Tribunal’ to ‘Inter-State River Disputes Tribunal’.

“Mahadeyi Water Dispute Tribunal was appointed and notified during the tenure of Vajpayee-led government in the centre. The tribunal has been hearing this case for so long and it has done so much headway into it,” Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said confirming that he has sought an appointment with the PM, which is unlikely to get in near future.

“The presiding officer of the tribunal has also visited Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa to study the issue. Now the case would be referred to ISRDT which means the hearings will start afresh,” the chief minister said adding that the case should continue to be heard by MWDT and not transferred to ISRDT.

The chief minister said the meeting with the Prime Minister may not happen as he (PM) is busy with the campaigning in Uttar Pradesh after which he would be proceeding on the foreign trip.

“We can not expect to get an appointment till March 11 with the PM to discuss the issue,” he said.

March 11 will also be the last day for the current government as the counting of votes for the recently held State Assembly Election would be held on that day.

Parsekar said that Goa government has also pleaded that former state advocate general and current additional solicitor general Atmaram Nadkarni should be allowed to represent Goa in the water dispute case.

Last month, the union ministry for law and justice withdrew permission granted to the former advocate general (AG) Nadkarni to represent Goa before the tribunal citing a clash of interest.