BELAGAVI
The Karnataka government has directed the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) to pass a resolution supporting the Mahajan Commission recommendations, Kannada organisations said on Tuesday.
The groups said the resolution would affirm their position that Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka and demanded that the civic body act without further delay.
Ashok Chandaragi, convener of the central committee of Kannada organisations, said the groups had approached the State government after the BCC delayed the resolution. He said the corporation had referred the issue to the government, which has now instructed it to pass the resolution and send copies of the proceedings.
Chandaragi said the government had also criticised the BCC Commissioner for referring the matter and instructed him not to make similar references in future. The Kannada organisations held Mayor Preeti Kamkar and Deputy Mayor Hanumant Kongali responsible for the delay and demanded action against both elected representatives.
According to Chandaragi, the organisations have been pursuing the demand for about four months. He said the issue was first raised in March but was not discussed during the corporation’s meetings in March and April. He added that the mayor had sought the government’s opinion because the border dispute was before the Supreme Court.
The activist said the State government had now provided a copy of a resolution passed by the legislature during former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde’s tenure. The resolution, moved by legislator H.K. Patil on March 23, 1988, supported implementing the Mahajan Commission report fully to resolve the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute. Chandaragi demanded that the BCC pass the same resolution and urged the Union government to implement the commission’s recommendations. Kannada activists Mahadev Talawar, Balaram Masenatti and others were present.
