MYSURU: Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti, who had drawn flak over his demand for a separate state for the North Karnataka region, on Thursday demanded that the Centre should create 20 more states for good governance and better administration. Katti said the BJP high command is mulling over creation of new states, and in his opinion, smaller states deliver effective governance and execute development and welfare programmes better.
He suggested that Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 21 crore, be divided into four states, and Maharastra, with 11 crore population, into three. Karnataka’s population was 2.5 crore during reorganisation of states, and now it is 6.5 crore. It should be split into two. He said that despite Telugu being the common language for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it was divided into two states.
Clarifying that he is not demanding a separate state for the North Karnataka region only to become its chief minister, he said, “Among the 224 MLAs in the Assembly, I’m the senior-most. It is my desire that if I become a chief minister, I should for the undivided Karnataka. But it should be my fate to become a chief minister.”
Hitting out at Congress for criticising his remark over statehood, he said Opposition leader Siddaramaiah should also think of North Karnataka’s development. Siddaramaiah, who served as chief minister, launched padayatras announcing the development of Almatti, but it is yet to be done, he added.On the power tussle in Maharashtra, he said let anyone come to power in the neighbouring state, Belagavi will remain with Kannadigas, but some miscreants are creating trouble.