Fadnavis agrees to Chief Ministers' meet on Mahadayi, Parrikar undecided

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa have been at loggerheads over the Mahadayi river water sharing row

Chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has given his consent to tripartite meeting over the Mahadayi river water sharing row. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who initiated the efforts to organise the meeting has now written to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Devendra Fadnavis who had called off a similar meeting last year has this time around agreed to hold talks. The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal had suggested an out of court agreement between the three riparian states on the issue. The Congress government in Karnataka, stuck between two BJP governments in Goa and Maharashtra had been pushing for talks to solve the issue amicably.

Responding to a letter of invitation to hold talks over the issue by Siddaramaiah, Devendra Fadnavis has sought tentative dates that are convenient to Chief Ministers of all three states. "I appreciate your initiative for organising a meeting of Chief Ministers of three states in response to the possibility of arriving at an amicable solution to the pending issue of Inter State Mahadayi Basin Water Distribution," read the letter from Devendra Fadnavis' office.

Following the Maharashtra Chief Minister's consent, Karnataka has now written again to Manohar Parrikar seeking a convenient time for the meeting of all chiefs of states.

In 2016, Fadnavis had taken the initiative to host the Chief Ministers' meeting but had backtracked at the last moment. Fadnavis' move had come as a disappointment to Karnataka that had even conducted all party meets to prepare for the meet. This time around, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken the initiative of organising the meet.

OneIndia News