Panaji, Feb 29 (IANS): The media should work with the state government in matters which are in explicit interest of the state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said here on Saturday.
Sawant, who has been under pressure from the Opposition as well as civil society, over alleged mishandling by the BJP-led coalition government of the ongoing inter-state river water dispute with Karnataka, was speaking to reporters in Panaji.
"They (media persons) need to understand the basics. This is a matter which is important for the state. Everyone should be united. Even media should be with the state, according to me. When it comes to matters of the state, the media should be with the state and present it properly," Sawant told the reporters.
Over the last few days, the media has been critical of the Pramod Sawant-led dispensation's handling of the Mhadei issue, especially the state government's handling of the ongoing dispute-related case in the Supreme Court against Karnataka.
"While writing (news reports) there could be mistakes here and there. It is a technical (issue). We could pay heavily for it in the SC. This issue was explained (to journalists) in detail," Sawant said.
Earlier on Saturday, the Chief Minister had a meeting with senior journalists from Goa in the presence of Advocate General Devidas Pangam and senior officials of the Water Resources department in which the media persons were informed about the status of the ongoing dispute.
The war of words between Sawant and the Opposition heated up last week after the Supreme Court allowed notification of the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal award given in 2018, on a request made by the Karnataka government.
While Karnataka had claimed that the apex court's nod for notification of the award was a major victory towards its efforts to divert water from the Mhadei river through its controversial Kalasa-Banduri dam project, the Goa government, as well as the state BJP on the other hand has insisted that the nod is merely technical in nature.
The Opposition in Goa has jointly alleged that the state government "did not even oppose" the Karnataka counsel's plea for notification of the award.