Maharashtra Government Revamps Key Panel On Karnataka Border Row; Opposition Gets Representation

Mumbai: The BJP-led government on Thursday issued a Government Resolution (GR) revising a high powered border committee headed by the Chief Minister. It is expected to take decisions on matters relating to a longstanding border dispute with neighbouring Karnataka.

The 18-member committee, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has both the deputy chief ministers – Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with nine members from the ruling side.

The Opposition is represented by the NCP SCP chief Sharad Pawar, former CM Prithviraj Chavan, the state NCP SCP chief Jayant Patil, MLA Rohit Patil and the leaders of the opposition (LoP) in both the houses of the state legislature.

While Ambadas Danve, being the LoP in the state council, will represent the Shiv Sena UBT, it is not clear who will represent as the LoP in the state assembly since the post is vacant. The Sena UBT has staked its claim to the post, being the single largest party with 20 members, but it is yet to be accepted. The Sena has nominated Bhaskar Jadhav, the group leader, for the job.

The committee also has MP Narayan Rane, Ministers Chandrakant Patil, Shambhuraj Desai and Prakash Abitkar, along with three MLAs – Sudhir Gadgil, Suresh Khade and Sachin Kalyanshetti.

The high-powered committee was first appointed in 2000 by the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh . It was formed to take decisions on the dispute over the inclusion of some villages in Karnataka based on the report submitted by Mehr Chand Mahajan in 1966. It considered the inclusion of certain villages in the respective states, but rejected Maharashtra’s claim on Belagavi. Maharashtra had demanded the inclusion of 865 villages along with Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani bordering Kolhapur and Sangli districts.

Some villages from the Bidar district want to be included in Maharashtra, but it was not considered by the commission. The Mahajan Commission report was rejected by the state, but Karnataka found it favourable. The dispute is unresolved, and Maharashtra has knocked on the Supreme Court's doors.