Panaji: Hours before meeting Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar over Mahadayi river issue, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that union government has never given Environment Clearance for Karnataka to Kalsa-Bhanduri project.
Sawant would be heading all party delegation on Tuesday in New Delhi to discuss the issues on Mahadayi water dispute and recent apprehension that union Environment ministry has given EC to Kalsa-Bhanduri project.
The chief minister said that the union government has not given EC for Kalsa-Bhanduri project.
“The union minister had written a letter to Karnataka regarding one of the project, which is not Kalsa-Bhanduri. They have said that Environment Impact Assessment is not required for irrigation project by rule,” he said.
“It has never been mentioned in the letter that EC has been given to the project. But, we have said that the same letter should be withdrawn,” he said.
Sawant said that he has spoken to Javadekar thrice after the controversy on EC started. “He has said that it has happened at bureaucracy level and let delegation come and I will explain,” the chief minister said.
“Javadekar has said that he is sensitive about /Goa and interest of the state. He will take the decision in the interest of Goa,” he added.
