In a major setback to Maharashtra demanding the transfer of nearly eight hundred villages of Belgaum region to it, the Centre in an affidavit to the Supreme Court has rejected its demand.
The affidavit of the Centre, which comes as a big boost to Karnataka, stated that the “criterion of language” was not the “sole” parameter to decide inclusion of an area in the territory of a particular state.
Maharasthra and Karnataka have been locked in a legal battle on the disputed area with the former claiming that nearly 800 villages of Belgaum region were “predominantly” Marathi speaking, hence they should be transferred to Maharasthra. The Centre’s affidavit came in response to an affidavit of Maharasthra government, filed earlier, in which it had accused the States Reorganisation Commission of an “arbitrary” decision about the inclusion of these villages in Karnataka. However, the Centre in its affidavit said the issue has been fully and finally settled under the States Reorganistion Bill, 1956 and the Bombay Reorganisation Bill, 1960 and there was no scope to reopening it.
“Both Parliament and Union of India had considered all relevant facts while considering the Stare Reorganisation Bill, 1956 and Bombay Organisation Bill, 1960 and decided that which of the villages, Talukas, municipal areas and towns, were to be included in the concerned states,” Centre’s affidavit said.
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Chavan downplays affidavit
Age correspondent
New Delhi
July 7: With the Centre’s affidavit in the Supreme Court on Maharashtra’s boundary dispute with Karnataka creating a storm, chief minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday downplayed the development.
“Nothing has happened. Only pleadings have been exchanged between the parties —- Maharashtra, Karnataka and the Centre,” Mr Chavan told reporters here in reply to a volley of questions on the issue.
Despite the Centre’s counter-affidavit evoking sharp reactions, the CM insisted that the stage has not come for framing of issues in the Supreme Court and the process would start next week. When confronted with several questions on the issue, Mr Chavan said he would be able to answer them only after consulting legal experts.