Belgaum: Lauding the Janata Dal (S)-Bharatiya Janata Party Government for making a budgetary provision of Rs. 250 crore for construction of "Suvarna Vidhana Soudha" in Belgaum and urging Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to the lay foundation stone of the building at the earliest, various Kannada organisations on Saturday threatened to launch an agitation if there was any delay in the commencement of work.

Addressing a press conference convened here by Belgaum District Kannada Organisations' Action Committee (BDKOAC) here, former mayor and veteran Kannada leader Siddangouda Patil thanked the Government for taking concrete steps to realise the promise to build "Suvarna Vidhana Soudha" in Belgaum.

However, he said, Mr. Kumaraswamy should have laid the foundation stone of the building two months ago. But differences in the political leadership and district administration over the choice of a site had delayed the foundation stone laying ceremony.

He said though the district administration had identified three sites, there was no consensus on a site at Tilakwadi. Kannada organisations wanted the building to come up on this site, but some politicians were insisting on some other locations.

BDKOAC president Ashok Chandargi said Kannada leaders from the district would meet the Chief Minister next week in this regard.

"It is unfortunate that lack of consensus on the site is coming in the way of realising a dream for which we have been fighting for more than two decades," Kannada activist Raghavendra Joshi said.

Meanwhile, Kannada organisations opposed the move to bifurcate the district and said that its boundaries should not be altered till the Mahajan Commission's report was implemented.

Mr. Chandargi said the J.H. Patel Government made a similar move in 1997, but was forced to drop it when all Kannada organisations opposed it. Division of the district would only help pro-Maharashtra forces. Moreover, the Maharashtra Government had taken the boundary dispute to the Supreme Court.

Mr. Patil urged the Government against delaying the Vishwa Kannada Sammelan which was to be held in February. The developments following the announcement of the final verdict on Cauvery waters forced the Government to postpone the event. Now, there were indications that the Government might hold the sammelan in November.

He said the Government should hold the sammelan before the elections to the Belgaum City Corporation Council. The elections were expected in May.

Mr. Chandargi said the Government was yet to clear a ring road project though a proposal was submitted to it six months ago. The Chief Minister promised to clear a proposal seeking Rs. 135 crore for modernisation of drainages and the drinking water supply system in Belgaum city a year ago, but funds had not been allocated in the budget. These issues would be taken up with the Chief Minister, he added.

Belgaum District Kannada Rakshana Vedike president Rajeev Topannavar said Kannada activists would organise "Bangalore chalo" on March 22 to protest against the move to bifurcate the district.

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