Date:25/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/25/stories/2006092519370100.htm

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Border issue likely to occupy centre stage at Belgaum session

S. Rajendran

Five-day event begins today; grand welcome for Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa planned

LONG WAIT ENDS: Last-minute preparations for the legislature session being made at Jirige Hall in Belgaum on Sunday. — Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Bangalore: Belgaum will play host to the first-ever special session of the Karnataka Legislature outside Bangalore from September 25 to 29. The border issue with Maharashtra is expected to occupy the centre stage of the five-day session.

Several Chief Ministers in the past, notably the late R. Gundu Rao in the early 80s, had contemplated having a session of the legislature at Belgaum, but could not go ahead owing to the poor infrastructure in the border city. Credit should go to the incumbent Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who hit upon the idea of having a legislature session in Belgaum only about a month ago with the basic purpose of sending across a strong signal to Maharashtra and the Union Government that Belgaum is an integral part of Karnataka. The Secretariat made all the requisite arrangements in a fortnight.

Compared to the previous two sessions of the legislature in which the Opposition largely stayed out of the House, the Belgaum session is expected to be different since the border issue is one which brings all the political parties to speak in one voice. The mining scam and charges of bribery against the Chief Minister and two other Ministers had resulted in an acrimonious debate and repeated walkouts by the Opposition in the last session.

The Union Government, which filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court to state that the Mahajan Commission report of the mid-60s was final in the matter pertaining to the border issue comprising the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, has now gone back on the same and has sought to file a fresh affidavit before the court. The Kumaraswamy Government has made a fervent appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene.

The Belgaum session of the legislature is expected to draw the attention of the Centre once again to this issue. It is to be seen whether the BJP MLC, Janardhan Reddy, who levelled the bribery charge primarily against the Chief Minister on the floor of the Legislative Council in the last session will continue from where he had left it.

Office of Profit Bill

The legislature is expected to discuss once again the Office of Profit Bill, which in its earlier format was not given assent to by Governor T.N. Chaturvedi. He suggested that the Government introduce certain changes. The State Cabinet has discussed the Bill and has incorporated some minor changes. The passage of the Bill will clear the way for the appointment of non-official chairpersons to various government boards and corporations. Four Bills of the Revenue Department are also likely to be discussed. The Governor will deliver a special address on September 28.

Belgaum Staff Correspondent reports:

Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Yediyurappa will be accorded a grand welcome when they arrive here on Monday. They will be taken in a procession from the Sangoli Rayanna Circle to the venue of the session.