Minister for Kannada and Culture H S Mahadev Prasad said on Friday that the renaming of Belgaum as Belagavi was State’s prerogative.
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, the Minister said that the State had sought the Union Government’s permission on the matter because the change of name had to be reflected nationally.
“It’s an issue that concerns the State, but we approached the Centre because the name change had to be recorded on the national maps, as well as passports. The file moved in this connection is pending before the Home Department,” Prasad said.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had earlier alleged that the Centre was giving in to the pressure from Maharashtra with regard to the town’s renaming. 

BEARY SAHITYA ACADEMY

A formal decision to set up a Beary Sahitya Academy in Mangalore will be taken in a month’s time, Prasad said. Planned on an annual budget of Rs 15 lakh, the Academy will work on the lines of the Tulu and Konkani academies, Minister for Kannada and Culture H S Mahadev Prasad said on Friday.
On according classical status to Kannada language, Prasad said the Committee of Linguistic Experts was likely to take up together the proposals from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the State had already passed on to the Centre details on  classical status for Kannada. Prasad had last week called on Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni in Delhi seeking immediate action on the matter. The Bearys Welfare Association President B M Farooq has thanked Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Kannada and Culture Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad for making this possible.