The Kannada Development Authority will urge Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to discuss the problems faced by people in the border areas with his counterpart in Maharashtra, Mukhyamantri Chandru, KDA chairperson, has said.
At a meeting held at the Vikasa Soudha with representatives of 44 villages from Jat taluk in Maharashtra, Chandru said KDA has prepared a list of 33 demands on issues faced by villagers here and it will be submitted to the chief minister soon.
The demands include setting up of CET centres in the border areas exclusively for students of the region, providing job opportunities in Karnataka for Kannadigas living in the border areas of both the states, relaxing rules on rural certificate, opening Kannada medium anganwadis in villages of Jat, making provisions for basic facilities like water, road and public library.
Reacting strongly to the recent demand made by the Maharashtra Assembly to the Centre to declare disputed areas of Belgaum and other border areas as Union Territory, Chandru said the Karnataka legislature, which is scheduled to meet soon, should send a strong message in this regard after a comprehensive discussion.
He added that Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackery’s statements on the issue were against the Supreme Court as the apex court was hearing the matter on border row between the two states and was yet to take a final decision on it.
Reacting to the Maharashtra Assembly resolution on Belgaum, Thackery had said President Pratibha Patil, who is of Maharashtrian origin, should dismiss the Karnataka government for being “anti-Maharashtra.”
Kannada writer and activist Chandrashekhar Patil said the State government should take a firm stand on the issue so that people like Thackery realise that border issues should not be taken for granted.
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