Taking serious exception to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for his statement that the Union Environment Ministry would not give permission for Karnataka’s Mahadayi project, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has asserted that the State would start work on the project.

The Deputy Chief Minister also reiterated that the State would try to take an all-party leaders’ delegation to Delhi to convince the Centre about the need to provide all clearances for the proposed project. He said he would also meet all the MPs from Karnataka to seek their support.

“We will withdraw our application in this regard from the Supreme Court and start the work on the project,” said Mr. Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio.

“The tribunal concerned has given its verdict on Mahadayi and we have already called for tender. BJP leaders, including Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, had even celebrated saying that the Mahadayi project would take off soon post the promise of approval by the Centre,” he said.

He said it was wrong on the part of the State MPs not to raise their voice on this issue. “I urge the MPs from the State to put pressure on the Centre. I will try to take an all-party delegation to Delhi,” he said.

Asked if the Union Minister was “misleading” the State on Mahadayi, he said: “The Union Jal Shakti Minister is impartial on the matter and he won’t politicise this. I have already met him four-five times. The Union Environment Minister will also not indulge in politics on this issue. Both of them support development works. The issue is with Goa.”

Replying to a query on Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of vote stealing during Lok Sabha election, he said: “I agree with his statement. I have also started my own investigation regarding this in Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency. Many irregularities have taken place here too.”