Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday opined that the time has come to find an amicable solution for Mahadayi river dispute as per the advice of Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal.
File photo of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaking in the Assembly
Speaking in the Assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said 21 legislators have spoke for 11 hours on Mahadayi river dispute for four days in the Assembly and Ministers K H Patil and M B Patil have provided all the details on Mahadayi river dispute. “Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had convened a meeting to discuss Mahadayi river dispute as per Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal but the meeting got cancelled due to some reasons. Now I do not want to discuss about the reasons for the cancellation of the meeting. I think it is the right time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and convene a meeting for Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra Chief Ministers. This is the stand of Karnataka government,” the Chief Minister said.
Siddaramaiah said that the state government would take all measures to strengthen the legal cell to present the state’s stand effectively on Mahadayi river dispute. “I have met Chief Ministers of Goa and Maharashtra during a visit to New Delhi. I have discussed Mahadayi river dispute with them. I want the Prime Minister to intervene to find an amicable solution for Mahadayi river dispute. Ours is a federal system and the prime minister can take the initiative to convene a meeting of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra Chief Ministers. I want BJP leaders and Union Ministers to convince the Prime Minister to fix the date for convening this meeting,’’ he said.
Disappointed with the Chief Minister’s reply, Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar demanded the Chief Minister to hold talks with Congress leaders in Goa and Maharashtra before demanding the Prime Minister to intervene in this issue. Disagreeing with Jagadish Shettar, the Chief Minister said that the political parties in respective states would have different opinions on the issue. “In the federal system, it is better if the PM intervenes in the matter to find an amicable solution,’’ Siddaramaiah said.
Continuing the argument, the leader of opposition blamed that state government has no intention to find a solution for Mahadayi river dispute. At this juncture, Congress and BJP legislators indulged in shouting slogans.
At this juncture, Kona Reddy of JD(S) insisted the government to take a decision on this issue during the ongoing Assembly session. With government not responding to the JD(S) legislator’s demand, the JD(S) legislators rushed into the well of the House and staged a dharna.
Speaking on Mahadayi river dispute issue, Minister for Water Resources M B Patil has explained the measures taken by the state government to find a solution for Mahadayi river dispute. “As per the majority of members’ demand in the Assembly, the Prime Minister should take an initiative to intervene in the matter and convene a meeting for Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra Chief Ministers.
The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal has adjourned the hearing on Mahadayi river dispute to March 21, 2017. Since the people of Karnataka opine that Central Government has not made sincere efforts to find a solution, I want Union Ministers and MPs from Karnataka to make a sincere effort to convince the Prime Minister to intervene in this matter,’’ Minister Patil said.
