<p> The State government will take up further arguments on the “maintainability” of a petition filed by Maharashtra staking claim to 814 villages in Karnataka when the case is taken up by the Supreme Court later this month.<br /><br />Briefing reporters after holding a meeting with legal experts and members of the Karnataka Border Protection Commission, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Miniser H K Patil, who was recently appointed the nodal minister for the Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute, said the apex court would tentatively take up the case on January 20.<br /><br />The Maharashtra government has filed a suit before the Supreme Court staking claim to 814 villages in Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Bidar and Kalaburagi districts.<br /><br />Patil said the Maharashtra government’s case had several infirmities as the Constitution made it clear that Parliament was the sole forum to decide the boundaries of states. </p>.<p>Besides, the report submitted by the Mahajan Commission in 1967 had made it clear that Belagavi belonged to Karnataka.<br /><br />The State’s case will be taken up by senior counsels Kapil Sibal, Uday Holla and State Advocate General Madhusudhan R Naik among others. Guidance from the chairperson of the Karnataka Border Protection Commission Justice S Rajendra Babu will also be sought to strengthen the States’ case, Patil said. Committee member and legal expert K N Bengeri made a presentation before the committee.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p> The State government will take up further arguments on the “maintainability” of a petition filed by Maharashtra staking claim to 814 villages in Karnataka when the case is taken up by the Supreme Court later this month.<br /><br />Briefing reporters after holding a meeting with legal experts and members of the Karnataka Border Protection Commission, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Miniser H K Patil, who was recently appointed the nodal minister for the Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute, said the apex court would tentatively take up the case on January 20.<br /><br />The Maharashtra government has filed a suit before the Supreme Court staking claim to 814 villages in Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Bidar and Kalaburagi districts.<br /><br />Patil said the Maharashtra government’s case had several infirmities as the Constitution made it clear that Parliament was the sole forum to decide the boundaries of states. </p>.<p>Besides, the report submitted by the Mahajan Commission in 1967 had made it clear that Belagavi belonged to Karnataka.<br /><br />The State’s case will be taken up by senior counsels Kapil Sibal, Uday Holla and State Advocate General Madhusudhan R Naik among others. Guidance from the chairperson of the Karnataka Border Protection Commission Justice S Rajendra Babu will also be sought to strengthen the States’ case, Patil said. Committee member and legal expert K N Bengeri made a presentation before the committee.<br /><br /><br /></p>
