Goa has not lost Mahadayi river case in Supreme Court: BJP

The ruling BJP on Friday rejected suggestions that Goa has lost its case in the Supreme Court in the Mahadayi Water Dispute after an interim order. Opposition parties in Goa on Thursday had slammed the BJP government for failing to protect interests of the state after the SC, in an interim order, allowed the Karnataka governments plea for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing water from the Mahadayi river.

Goa BJP General Secretary Narendra Sawaikar said Opposition parties were jumping the gun and trying to politicise the issue by spreading lies. Sawaikar said though the SC has notified the award given by a tribunal, it has also admitted the appeal made by the Goa government against the ruling and fixing the next date for hearing in July.

Notification of the award is a part of procedure, which has been adopted by SC. But that does not mean, Karnataka has won and Goa has lost, he said. The BJP leader said one should wait for the SC's final verdict.

Sawaikar said in the meantime the contempt petition filed by the Goa government against Karnataka for going ahead with a project on the Mahadayi is pending in the SC.