BELGAUM: The decision of the State Government to reconsider the proposal on reorganisation of certain big districts is likely to evoke mixed response in Belgaum, owing to the ongoing border dispute with Maharashtra.

According to an official release issued here on Thursday, the Government has invited views, suggestions and objections on reorganisation of existing districts and creation of new districts out of them. The last date for submitting suggestions and objections is March 31, 2007.

The Government has formed a committee to look into the issue under the chairmanship of retired Additional Chief Secretary V. Balasubramanian.

At present, the committee has four cases before it: splitting Gulbarga and Belgaum districts into two new districts each as per the P.C. Guddigoudar recommendations; creation of new Ramnagar district consisting Kanakapura, Chennapatna, Ramnagar and Magadi taluks out of Bangalore Rural district and creation of new Chikkaballapur district consisting of Gouribidnur, Shidlaghatta, Bagepalli, Chikkaballapur and Gudigunde taluks out of the existing Kolar district.

Leading from the front

The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) has been spearheading the border row with support from the Maharashtra Government. The latter had already approached the Supreme Court demanding transfer of Marathi speaking towns and villages in the adjoining areas to its State, including Belgaum.

It has opposed bifurcation of Belgaum every time the demand for splitting up the district was considered by the Government while maintaining that no such exercise should be taken up until the border dispute was resolved.

On the contrary, though there have been demands from the people of Chikodi and Gokak for a separate district, Kannada organisations and their leaders have their reservations in this regard as they feel that any division of the district would only strengthen Marathi-dominated areas. However, both the MES and Kannada organisations and political leaders representing the two linguistic communities are yet to express their views on the Government's recent move on bifurcation of the district.

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