Maharashtra Govt. may move SC over border dispute

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, MARCH 13. Maharashtra may seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to sort out the long-pending border dispute with Karnataka. The Maharashtra Government has asked its legal department to collect evidence and references in this regard.

Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, told the Assembly today that the State would first seek the intervention of the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, and, if necessary, hold a bilateral meeting with Karnataka.

If nothing concrete emerges out of these, it would have little choice except taking the matter to court, since the issue of the merger of the Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka to Maharashtra is not only long-pending but also has substantial emotional overtones attached to it.

All other moves - including Maharashtra making good the loss of Belgaum by helping Karanataka build a new Belgaum through a referendum - have not found favour. It has been, observers admit, a dialogue between the deaf and no progress has been made at all. Recently, when Mr. Vajpayee was here to attend the international naval fleet review, a high-power delegation from Maharashtra had called on him, pressing for a quick resolution. At that time, Mr. Vajpayee had said he found the mood positive between the two States on this issue but there were subsequent reports suggesting that the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. Krishna, found no reason to budge from his current position implying that the predominantly Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka can stay with it.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Mahanta denies tie-up with BJP
Next     : Qutab simmers, Qutab-watchers suffer