11 villages in Maharashtra's Solapur district demand merger with Karnataka amid border row

The Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute took a new turn on Tuesday as 11 villages from Akkalkot tehsil in Maharashtra's Solapur district demanded a merger with Karnataka. A delegation of villagers submitted a proposal passed by the respective Gram Panchayats to the District Collector. Highlighting the absence of roads, and educational and health facilities, they urged the Maharashtra government to provide the same failing which they will be compelled to be a part of the neighbouring state.

Speaking to the media, a member of the delegation said, "We don't know why Maharashtra has accorded step-motherly treatment to 28 villages on the border. Basic facilities are not available in 28 villages. There are so many problems. If we compare our condition with Karnataka, we feel that we are 100 years behind. The farmer doesn't have a road to go to the market. In Karnataka, there is free electricity and water. Akkalkot never received its share of water. We boycotted the last Lok Sabha election. No government official listens to us. We don't know whether our village is in Maharashtra or not." 

Karnataka-Maharashtra border row

There has been a longstanding dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the status of predominantly Marathi-speaking regions such as Belagavi. The present controversy emanated from Basavaraj Bommai's assertion on November 22 that his government was seriously considering the resolution passed by some villages in the Jat taluka of Maharashtra's Sangli district to merge with Karnataka. Retorting to this, Devendra Fadnavis said that no village in his state will be ceded to Karnataka. In response, the Karnataka CM dubbed it a 'provocative' remark and staked claim to Kannada-speaking regions of Maharashtra.

Speaking to the media after meeting Karnataka Border and River Formation Commission chairperson and former SC judge Shivaraj Patil on Sunday, Bommai revealed that he will visit Delhi on November 29. During his visit, he met senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi to discuss everything related to the border dispute case pending before the Supreme Court. While Maharashtra Ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraje Desai were scheduled to visit Belagavi on December 3 on the invitation of the MES to hold deliberations on this issue, they put off their visit as the Karnataka government expressed reservations.