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Goa CM rules out rehabilitation of Baina beach residents Friday November 4 2005 12:30 IST HUBLI: Goa Chief Minister Pratap Singh Rane has said he has an open mind to discuss differences regarding water disputes between Goa and Karnataka. Rane stayed at Circuit house for some time before leaving for Sandur here on Wednesday. He said the proposed project of Karnataka regarding linking of Kalasa and Banduri nala tributaries of Mahadayi river had been stayed by Union Ministry of Water Resources. The same would decide the fate of the project, he added. He told reporters that P R Dasmunshi, Cabinet Minister for Water Resources, intended to convene a meeting of chief ministers of Karnataka and Goa soon. The matter of dispute would be sorted there in keeping the interest of the state (Goa), he said. Earlier, Goa had given consent to Mahadayi project but it backtracked citing environmental reasons. The issue was referred to the National Environmental and Engineering Institute, which cleared the project. The Centre had given green signal to the project but Goa mounted pressure on it to keep the project in abeyance, he said. He disagreed that surplus water of Mahadayi was being unused and flowed to sea and termed it a ‘baseless report’. Constituting a tribunal to resolve differences on water sharing was unnecessary, he opined. He defended evacuation of Kannadigas from Baina beach claiming the beach a hub of sex trade. He clarified that residents of the beach were not only of Karnataka and action was taken in the interest of enhancing tourism of Goa and check the sexual diseases, he added. He ruled out any rehabilitation to residents of Baina beach since they had become homeless after evacuation. He said any step toward rehabilitation would encourage encroachment of beaches and trade of sex. State would not tolerate any act that would cause setback to tourism as it was the major source of revenue. Rane dismissed the demand of ‘Vishal Gomanthak’ and said border dispute was not alive for Goa as the government more concentrated on getting international recognition to the state.
