Maharashtra-Karnataka Border dispute: Shinde govt to extend medical facilities to disputed villages
Feb 10, 2024
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 10 : Amid the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row, the coordination committees from both states, which were constituted in December 2022, held a meeting earlier today.
In the meeting, it was decided that the Maharashtra government would extend medical facilities to the disputed 865 villages.
"Regarding the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue, a delegation had come regarding the 865 villages there that have a Marathi-speaking population. I had a meeting with them. It has been decided to extend medical facilities to those, in these 865 villages, who are eligible for medical help under Maharashtra Government's Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and CMO's Mukhyamantri Sahayta Yojana," said Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai.
"Now, a coordinator officer of Tehsildar grade will have his camp at the Maharashtra border. We will discuss this with the CM and Revenue Minister and inform the DM of Kolhapur district, after which we will have one such officer there. The proposals that will come for medical health will be fulfilled by him and they will be sent for sanction to the Mumbai Head Office. The coordination committee of ministers was constituted. But due to a change in the Karnataka government, the three names will have to be given by them. We will request the center get the three names from them and have meetings about this to find a way," he added.
The central government had, in December 2022, constituted coordination committees from both states to resolve the border row. however, the two states earlier failed to covene the meeting.
Notably, the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka dates back to the implementation of the State Reorganization Act of 1956. The then-Maharashtra government had demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka.
The border dispute was reignited after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in 2022, staked claims on 865 villages in Karnataka, which had a significant population of Marathi-speaking people.
In response to this, the then-Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai staked claims on Kannada-populated areas in Maharashtra, leading to increased turmoil between the two states.
