Shri Siddaram Swami of Naganur Rudrakshi Mutt (Belagavi) has appealed to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, against finding reasons in political differences with Opposition parties to hold back solutions to burning problems of the people and hinted that a truly non-political delegation of prominent persons could meet him with a plea for an early out-of-court solution to the inter-State dispute on sharing of Mahadayi river water between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
He said a meeting of heads of various religious institutions in North Karnataka region had been convened at Dharwad on Thursday, during which various options would be explored to resolve the row at the earliest. A similar meeting would be held in Belagavi on Monday.
The Swamiji told presspersons here on Wednesday that the people of North Karnataka region had very high hopes on the meeting of the all-party delegation led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with the Prime Minister in Delhi. But it was all in vain. Instead of taking the lead, the Prime Minister found pretext in political differences with the Congress on issues not related to drinking water needs of the people: “This was not expected from Mr. Modi as he was Prime Minister for all the people of the country and not just his party (BJP) alone.”
The Swamiji said over 200 tmc ft. water of water was unutilised by Goa and it was flowing waste into the Arabian Sea. Diversion of only 7.56 tmc ft. of water through the Kalasa-Banduri nala projects at the inter-state boundary would not affect Goa’s ecology in any way. The Goa government was expected to show “some broadmindedness” and provide a solution, not act as a hurdle.
The Swamiji disapproved of the incidents of violence that had crept into the farmers’ ongoing struggle in Nargund and Hubballi-Dharwad and said destruction of public property would only increase the burden on them.
Uttar Karnataka Vikas Vedike leader Ashok Pujari and district president of Kabbu Belegarara Sangha T.T. Murkatnal were present.
