Panaji, Jan 31 (IANS): The preliminary meeting of Goa's House Committee to study issues related to River Mhadei will be held on February 8.

Joint Secretary of Legislature Hercules Noronha has informed about the meeting to all 12 members of the committee headed by Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar.

Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai, who is also a member of the House Committee, had on Saturday in a written request to the WRD Minister demanded to immediately convene a House Committee meeting to get to the bottom of the issue.

Sardesai had said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Mhadei diversion is like a 'bomb explosion' on the people of the state.

Goa's Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday condemned the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over Mhadei diversion issue.

The BJP government in Goa is under attack since the Central Water Commission has granted permission to Detailed Project Report of Karnataka for the disputed Kalsa-Banduri dam.

The situation further heated up on Saturday after Amit Shah said that the dispute between both the states has been resolved by the Central government.

"I condemn the statement made by Home Minister Amit Shah. First of all when we met him (on January 11), this particular thing (resolving dispute) was not discussed. We had requested that permission granted by CWC should be withdrawn. We never discussed giving our consent to DPR," Cabral said.

During a rally in Belagavi on Saturday, Shah said: "Sonia Gandhi during a speech in Goa in the year 2007 said that the Congress government will not allow Mhadei water diversion to Karnataka. In 2022, Congress in their manifesto stated that Karnataka will not get a single drop of water from Mhadei. Today, I am here to tell you that the BJP at the Centre has resolved the long dispute between Goa and Karnataka over Mhadei and allowed the diversion of Mhadei to Karnataka to satisfy the thirst of farmers of many districts."