Congress challenges Goa CM Pramod Sawant to stop Maharashtra from construction of Virdi Dam

PANAJI: Ridiculing chief minister Pramod Sawant’s statement that Goa and Maharashtra are united in the fight against Karnataka’s Mhadei diversion project, the Congress party challenged Sawant to stop Maharashtra from building a dam on the Goa-Maharashtra border at Virdi.
“If Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant is really concerned about the water shortage issue of Goa, then he should warn Eknath Shinde not to do construction activities at Virdi dam,” said former Congress state president Girish Chodankar.
“Does Pramod Sawant have the audacity to speak to his bosses at centre and intervene in matters to stop Maharashtra from diverting water".
Earlier in April, the Maharashtra government had moved its machinery to begin work on the Virdi dam to construct the dam across the Valvanti River via its Kattika tributary in Virdi. This month, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde met with Sawant in Goa to discuss the Virdi project and to also announce that Maharashtra and Goa will jointly fight the Mhadei water dispute against Karnataka.
“Who had stopped Pramod Sawant and Eknath Shinde from making such statements and acting against Karnataka when there was a BJP government at the Centre, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. Now it is evident that both are dancing on the tunes of Centre and making statements to attain political dividend after BJP lost miserably in Karnataka,” Chodankar said.
The work on the Virdi dam was brought to a halt in February 2015, after the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal ordered the Government of Maharashtra to stop the work and seek all approvals.
Chodankar said that Sawant has “always hoodwinked” people over the Mhadei water dispute.
“Union home minister Amit Shah had clearly said that the decision of providing Mhadei water was taken after taking Pramod Sawant in confidence. If Sawant has not agreed then why is he not rejecting the claim by Amit Shah,” Chodankar said.