Panaji, Jan 16 (PTI): Goa Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar today said neighbouring Karnataka was a "habitual liar" on the Mahadayi river case.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Water Resources Minister M B Patil demanded an apology from Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over alleged abusive words used by Palyekar against Kannadigas recently.

"If Karnataka minister feels that Goa and Goans are liars then it is they (Karnataka) who are habitual liars in Mahadayi case and their witnesses are exposed before Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal," Palyekar said.

"Goans don't have a habit of lying. I personally visited the site along with the team of our engineers. It was quite visible that work on the canal was on and we have collected the evidence which would be produced before the tribunal," the minister said.

Vinod Palyekar

Patil, who had visited the spot in the morning, had claimed that Goa's allegations were "false" and "baseless."

"Goa minister Vinod Palyekar who visited Kanakumbi had alleged that we have started work on the Kalsa-Banduri canal project. But that is false. What he has seen is signs of old work," Patil was quoted as saying by media reporters this morning.

Palyekar said Karnataka had been lying about the Mahadayi issue since July 2007.

"Karnataka's witnesses have been exposed by our Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni before the tribunal," the minister said.

The hearing on Goa's arguments against Karnataka's proposed dams on the river will be heard by the tribunal in the first week of February.

Nadkarni had said Goa's case was essentially to challenge the construction of 12 dams by Karnataka on the Mahadayi river and also oppose Karnataka's proposal to divert Mahadayi waters to the Malaprabha reservoir.