STATE HAS TO PLEAD FOR FRAMING APPROPRIATE ISSUES ON MADEI RIVER DIVERSION

PANJIM: Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal told Mr Shantaram Naik MP, on Tuesday that the state of Goa will have to plead their case for framing of appropriate issues regarding their objection to the Karnataka irrigation project, before the tribunal.

He also said that the Central Government has not laid down any terms of reference in cases of tribunals constituted in the country so far, and therefore, in Mhadei case also, the government has not fixed any terms of reference.

At the request of Mr Naik, Mr Bansal organised a meeting in his office at Parliament House, in which, besides Mr Bansal and Mr Naik, secretary for Water Resources, Mr U N Panjiar and commissioner of Projects who deals with Mhadei Project, Mr A B Pandya, were present.

Mr Bansal told Mr Naik that all the pleadings of the parties will be sent to the tribunal which will then look into the various aspect of the dispute.

Normally, tribunals deals with the distribution of water, however, since it is the case of Goa that Karnataka is attempting to obstruct the flow of river water, Goa can plead for the removal of obstruction, Mr Naik was told at the meeting.

Mr Panjiar told Mr Naik that in the case of inquiry commissions, terms of reference are specifically laid down by the government but, tribunals being judicial bodies, framing of appropriate issues are left to them.

Mr Naik in a statement issued from New Delhi after his meeting with Mr Bansal, said that Goa government’s lawyers will have to effectively plead before the tribunal, so that, tribunal holds proper inquiry into the very legality of the construction of a dam by the State of Karnataka.

It may be recalled that Mr Naik had earlier, through his letter and subsequent meeting with Mr Bansal, expressed apprehension that if proper terms of reference to meet Goa’s objection to the project are not framed, the tribunal will not serve any purpose, as far as the state of Goa is concerned.

The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat was to join Mr Naik for Friday’s meeting, however, he could not attend as he had to cancel his visit to the capital.

On the issue of Special Economic Zones, Mr Naik said that the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Anand Sharma is abroad and upon his return, he will hold a meeting with him, to request him to denotify the three notified SEZs in Goa in view of the fact that the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court has disposed of the petition pending on the subject, on account of which, Commerce Ministry had deemed it fit not to denotify the three SEZs.

Mr Naik said that since the developers are now not having any land with them, the three SEZ proposals are deemed to stand de facto denotified, and that, only formal notification have to be issued by the government. (NT)