Expressing its anguish, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed Maharashtra to file a comprehensive reply to the application filed by Karnataka earlier on the controversial border dispute between the two states pending adjudication for the past 50 years.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishanan asked Maharashtra to file its reply in 6 weeks and posted the matter for hearing on March 25.

Senior Advocate Fali S Nariman and Karnataka government counsel Sanjay Hegde submitted that Maharashtra did not file any comprehensive reply to the affidavit filed by the state. In the amended plaint filed in 2004, Maharashtra claimed its jurisdiction over 814 villages in Belgaum , Karwar, Bidar and Gulbarga districts, which were reportedly Marathi-speaking.

Maharashtra said, “The court may be pleased to declare that the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 comprising of the Maharashtra without the (aforesaid) Marathi-speaking majority areas listed in the list be declared null and void.”

In the process of establishment of Karnataka under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, by joining state of Mysore and parts of Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras and Coorg, the Union government merged certain Marathi-speaking majority areas.

“This was done by the Centre in spite of strong protests and agitation by the people of the Marathi-speaking regions,” said the petition filed by Maharashtra.