Belagavi, Jan 29 (TOI): Relations between Karnataka and Goa over the Mahadayi soured further, with a Goan delegation led by speaker Pramod Sawant and deputy speaker Michael Lobo making a surprise visit to the Kalasa project site near Kanakumbi, in Khanapur taluk, on Sunday. The team was here to check whether there was any violation of the Mahadayi tribunal and Supreme Court orders.
The delegation comprised BJP legislator Alina Saldanha, Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar, president of Mahadai Bachao Andolan Nirmala Sawant, secretary Rajendra Kerkar and some former MLAs. They were accompanied by mediapersons and police officials from Goa.
The team visited the Kalasa project site and went to neighbouring villages to elicit their feedback on the project, before visiting the axis areas of Mahadayi in Goa.
As news of the Goan delegation's visit spread, there were angry reactions from Karnataka water resources minister MB Patil and pro-Kannada organization leaders, who dubbed their viGoa delegation makes a surprise Kalasa visitsit a "breach of protocol".
"We got an intelligence report on Saturday afternoon about the Goan delegation's visit. Let many more such delegations visit the project site. When there is no violation on the part of Karnataka, why should we worry about their visits? But they should intimate Karnataka before their visit, as per protocol, as there is a tense situation in the region after the visit of the Goa minister who issued an anti-Kannada statement recently. If they intimate us, we'll give security and host a luncheon too, as it's our culture to welcome guests," Patil told reporters at Hungund in Bagalkot district.
Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj demanded legal action against the Goan delegation for allegedly breaching protocol and visiting the Kalasa Banduri site.
But chief minister Siddaramaiah quickly calmed flared tempers saying he had no qualms about the delegation's visit to Kanakumbi, and directed officials to assist them and provide adequate security, as per protocol. "Goa's state officials did inform the Belagavi district administration before visiting the site. Let us not stop them. Let them visit the site and have a firsthand experience. When we had not committed any illegality, what is there to hide?" he told reporters in Bengaluru.
A Karnataka police team headed by Belagavi SP CH Sudheer Kumar Reddy was deployed at the project site during the delegation's visit. After visiting the site, Sawant told reporters: "This was an informal visit and not an official inspection. We came here to know what exactly is happening here, and whether water was diverted and civic works were being carried out. There are no signs of any fresh activity, at least for now, though we found a 10-metre-deep canal, restricting the free flow of water towards Mahadayi in Goa."