K'taka govt committed to protect state's interest on border dispute with Maharashtra: Shivakumar

Belagavi (Karnataka), Jul 9 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday asserted that the government is committed to protecting the state's interest on the border dispute, in the wake of the Maharashtra government deciding to appoint senior legal experts, if needed, to ensure an early hearing in the Supreme Court on the issue. He said he would look into the status of court cases, hold discussions on the matter and make decisions by taking everyone into confidence. Shivakumar was responding to a question about Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying on Wednesday that the state government will appoint senior legal experts, if needed, to ensure that the long-pending boundary dispute with Karnataka is taken up for hearing in the Supreme Court at the earliest. Speaking at a meeting of a high-power committee on the border issue held at the state legislature in Mumbai, Fadnavis stressed that every possible effort will be made to resolve the dispute and protect the rights of Marathi-speaking people living in the border areas. Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said, "When we were coming here (to Belagavi), M B Patil (Minister), H K Patil (former minister) and I discussed this. We have seen the reports. Some representatives of pro-Kannada organisations met me here and submitted a memorandum. I will look into it. We are committed to protecting Karnataka's interest on the border issue." He said he would get complete reports and discuss the matter in Bengaluru. "I will call them (pro-Kannada organisations) to Bengaluru for discussion. This is a matter concerning the state. We will take everyone into confidence and decide. The government has already clearly stated its stand that the Mahajan Commission Report is final. They (Maharashtra) might have had a meeting, but nothing will happen just because of the meeting. We will look into the court case. We will protect the state's interest," he added. Fadnavis on Wednesday also said that his government will provide legal assistance to Marathi-speaking people facing court cases in Karnataka and appoint lawyers for them. The government will also bear the legal expenses for these cases. Noting that Marathi-speaking people in the border areas face several difficulties, he assured them that the state stands firmly behind them. The border issue between the two states dates back to 1957 when states were reorganised on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population, and over 800 Marathi-speaking border villages that are currently part of Karnataka. Karnataka maintains that the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report is final. To assert that Belagavi is an integral part of the state, Karnataka built the 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' in Belagavi, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the State Legislature and Secretariat in Bengaluru, and holds the legislature session there once a year. PTI KSU KH