BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday urged Maharashtra Government to immediately withdraw its order to implement Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), a health scheme, in 865 villages of Karnataka on the border.
Bommai told reporters here that he would take up the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The chief minister condemned the Maharashtra cabinet’s decision to provide the health insurance scheme for people of 865 villages in Karnataka and termed it an unpardonable mistake.
During the recent meeting on border dispute with Shah, both states were asked to wait for the final verdict of the Supreme Court and not to take any provocative actions. But, the Maharashtra government has violated the directive, he said.
The CM said there are many villages in Maharashtra which want to be part of Karnataka and they have even passed a resolution in their panchayats. “We could have also made such announcements. Several taluks and gram panchayats of Maharashtra have adopted unanimous resolutions seeking their merger with Karnataka as they were not getting justice in Maharashtra. Maharashtra should have behave responsibly,” he said.
The Maharashtra government on Monday decided to release Rs 54 crore for implementation of MJPJAY in 865 villages and towns in Karnataka. Congress leaders in Karnataka on Wednesday criticised Bommai as well as the Maharashtra government. State Congress president D K Shivakumar and Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah demanded that Bommai resign as CM. They also hit out at BJP MPs from Karnataka and the union government for failing to protect the state’s interests.