High-powered panel on Maha-K’taka boundary issue reconstituted

Mumbai:  Former Maharashtra chief ministers - NCP (SP) supremo and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar, veteran Congressman Prithviraj Chavan and BJP Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane - have been included in the 18-member high-powered committee on the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, which has now been reconstituted. 

The committee would be presided over by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP.

Those who are part of the committee include deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde, who is the chief leader of the Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP president. 

The government resolution on the reconstituted committee was notified on Thursday evening. 

Others include BJP leader and higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, who is also the minister for the boundary issue, state tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai and state public health minister Prakash Abitkar, both from the Shiv Sena.

The MLAs, who are part of the committee, include Jayant Patil, Suresh Khade, Sudhir Gadgil, Sachin Shetty and Rohit Patil.

Others include Rajesh Kshirsagar, who heads the State Planning Commission, and former MLA Prakash Awade. The leader of opposition in the State Assembly and leader of opposition in the State Council too are members. 

While the opposition leader in Council is Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT), the post of opposition leader in Assembly is vacant as the opposition could not muster the necessary numbers. 

The first high-powered committee was set up on May 26, 2014 when Prithviraj Chavan was the chief minister.

It was reconstituted on May 2, 2000, when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister and underwent another reconstitution after Eknath Shinde took over the reins of the state.

It may be mentioned, Maharashtra claims 814 villages along the borders, as well as Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani and Bidar, and wants them to be included in the state - as a large population here speaks Marathi.