Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said his government is “seriously considering” laying a claim on the Jath taluk in the neighbouring Maharashtra.
Bommai also said his government would provide grants to Kannada-medium schools in Maharashtra and provide pension to Kannadiga freedom fighters living in the neighbouring state.
“We came up with programmes to provide water to the Jath taluk (in Sangli district), which suffered severe drought. All gram panchayats there have resolved that the Jath taluk should join Karnataka. We're seriously considering this,” Bommai said.
“We have also decided to give special grants to Kannada schools in Maharashtra through the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority,” Bommai said. “And, Kannadigas living in Maharashtra who fought in the freedom struggle, unification movement and liberation of Goa will be given pension. We’re collecting necessary documents,” he explained.
This is Karnataka’s way of hitting out at Maharashtra which has appointed two ministers - Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai - to track the court case on the Belagavi border dispute.
Maharashtra has, on linguistic grounds, laid claim on Belagavi (Belgaum), a part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency that is currently one of Karnataka’s largest districts.
The Bommai administration has convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss the Supreme Court case on the border dispute.
“There are attempts being made to create rifts among states,” Bommai said. “There are Kannadigas in Maharashtra whose protection is our responsibility.”