BELAGAVI: In a fresh move to bolster its stance on the boundary dispute with Karnataka, the Maharashtra government has reconstituted its high power committee. The committee will be headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Several top leaders from different political parties of Maharashtra are on this panel, which was earlier headed by former CM Eknath Shinde.
The 18-member committee includes DyCMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, former CMs Sharad Pawar, Prithviraj Chavan, and Narayan Rane, and border affairs expert Prof Avinash Kolhe. Ministers Chandrakant Dada Patil and Shambhuraje Desai are on the core coordination team attached to the panel and are tasked with handling matters related to the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), a pro-Marathi outfit based in Karnataka.
According to informed sources, the committee will draw up strategies to not only strengthen the boundary case stronger in the Supreme Court but would also dwell upon various alternatives which could help Maharashtra in the ongoing tussle.
Sources said that MES leaders may be asked to provide information about the dispute which could benefit Maharashtra. It may be noted that at the behest of MES, the Maharashtra government is involved in a legal and political battle with Karnataka, staking its claim on hundreds of villages and towns of Karnataka along the border, including Belagavi, Khanapur, Karwar, Bhalki, and Nippani.
According to sources, Maharashtra filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2004, demanding the merger of 846 villages and towns in Karnataka into Maharashtra. The boundary case is currently on hold as the Supreme Court is on vacation until July 13 and the issue is likely to come up for hearing once the court resumes with its proceedings.
On the other hand, the Karnataka government has constituted a Border Protection Committee, but has not named any minister in-charge of the boundary row.
Maharashtra has named two ministers as in-charge of the boundary dispute. Several Kannada organisations have appealed to the Karnataka government to initiate stern measures to build the boundary case stronger in its favour and to appoint HK Patil as in-charge minister for the boundary issues.
The Karnataka government had taken serious steps in connection with the dispute when late Dharam Singh was the CM by constituting Border Legal Advisory Committee which was later renamed as Border Protection Committee. The state government did it after the Maharashtra government filed a petition with the Supreme Court, naming Karnataka as Respondent 2 and Union Government as Respondent 1 in the case.