[Nethra K Putti]

KARNATAKA SET TO HAVE 3 OR 4 MORE DISTRICTS

BANGALORE: Karnataka is all set to get three or four more districts: While there are no problems with the proposed Chikballapur district (carved out of Bangalore Rural and Kolar), the break-up of the unwieldy Belgaum and Gulbarga districts is likely to run into trouble.

A decade after seven new districts were carved out, taking the total in the state from 20 to 27, the exercise has begun again. To skirt clear of prickly issues that previous governments faced before they zeroed in on the seven districts, the Kumaraswamy government has set up a panel to look into the infrastructure, views and feasibility factors, and recommend new districts that could be carved out of Bangalore (Rural), Kolar, Gulbarga and Belgaum.

A preliminary notification calling for objections has to be issued under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, followed by a final notification. Once the government decides, it takes at least three months to complete the formalities to form a new district.

The panel going into the issue comprises retired bureaucrats of additional chief secretary rank — with V Balasubramanian heading it, Chiranjeev Singh and K V Irniraya being members and regional commissioner (Bangalore) as member-secretary. Both Balasubramanian and Irniraya were deputy commissioners and later divisional commissioners of Gulbarga district/revenue division.

The notification, issued on March 1, has given three months to the committee to hear public suggestions and go into the geographical and social aspects before making the recommendations. The ongoing exercise for delimitation of constituencies will not affect this process.

New districts in Belgaum and Gulbarga should have been formed in 1997 along with the seven others. But since taluks coming under the new districts were politically sensitive, the issue was kept on the back-burner.

Though senior Congress leaders N Dharam Singh or Mallikarjun M Kharge do not admit in the open, there is a tussle between the two over Yadgir and Shahapur for the district tag: Kharge would be happy if Yadgir becomes a district, as it has a railway line and helps his Gurmitkal constituency. Singh would prefer Shahapur, as it has infrastructure.

He would also stand to lose a portion of his Jewargi constituency, which may get attached to Yadgir. What is the cost?

According to an official estimate, the creation of each new district costs the government around Rs 15 crore. Formation of a new district needs additional administrative expenditure, as it involves creation of the posts of deputy commissioners and superintendents of police and other paraphernalia. “It leads to creation of new administrative machinery as well as reallocation of existing infrastructure," sources said.

Creation of a new district requires some old and some new infrastructure, because every new district needs to have its own gram, taluk and zilla panchayats, a district court and other offices.

--> SOURCE : Times City.

[chanda_s]

any information about what taluks of belgaum would form a new district. belgaum was my old station and hence this curiosity.

[Nethra K Putti]

Originally Posted by chanda_s

any information about what taluks of belgaum would form a new district. belgaum was my old station and hence this curiosity.

sir,
I think for your curiosity i had put this post..
sir, you are of belgaum o-i-see..
sure sir i will give you the information about your belgaum taluks which is going to form new district, but i want 3 days time..
you need to wait for it...!!!
you know kannada, i think...!!!

[chanda_s]

not really. i'm not from karnataka, though i happened to serve in belgaum for about 4 years. the move for splitting the belgaum district was being considered when i was there. after that i lost track. splitting belgaum is really tricky with the marathi-kannada problem involved.

this problem apart, belgaum is among the best places to live in india. no day passes without my missing it and thinking of it fondly.

[Nethra K Putti]

sir,
recently there had been controversy that Belgaum should belong to Karnataka state & not Maharashtra.
There had been 2 days Bundh in Full Bangalore City just last year in 2006 mid. before there was bundh on October 5th 2006.
Now no decision taken place regarding this.

There was a bandh yesterday in Bangalore October 5th 2006, in this context, let me ask some of the genuine doubts which I have. [Please note, I am neither from Kar nor Mah, and all I know abt this dispute is after coming here.]

1. Belgaum has majority of Marathi speakers, and why does Karnataka want to impose compulsory Kannada on them?
2. The people of Belgaum have shown their faith in MES policy [integration with Maharashtra] by electing two MLAs from their party. The corporation of Belgaum has MES majority and the Mayor is from MES. Now, why does the Government of Karnataka not recognize the view of the majority of Belgaum?
3. Kashmir and Telengana Naxalite, in my personal view are different from Belgaum issue, mainly because the MES and Marathis have taken the Democratic path, and from the representation they show[MLAs and Mayor], they have gathered quite a handsome support.
4. Kannada Activists doing thisto mayor of Belgaum is unacceptable and barbaric to the height.
5. Treating the mayor of a city is such a manner is equivalent to treating every resident of the city. Why did the Karnataka Government allow this to happen, right in front of the Vidhana Soudha.
6. What is the necessity of removing the Belgaum flag from corporation office. For me it feels like, sending a message to the Marathi speaking people that, you cannot maintain ur identity in this state.
7. “Either recognize our right to identity and language, by not thrusting kannada on us, or if the GoK thinks that, every body in Karnataka should learn Kannada compulsorily, then let it be, but we would want to opt out of the state, and join ourselves with Maharashtra, after all birds of same feather flock together. Either Let us Live or Let us Leave” - if this is what a person from Belgaum asks, what would be the answer to this.

Ps: Let us not talk abt implementing reports and committee findings at this point, because they might not represent the true picture on ground. After all, Karanataka still does not recognize the Kaveri Tribunal Interim Award [which might be genuine considering situations on ground] Infact, the Supreme Court in 2002, had asked the S.M. Krishna Government to Obey or Leave, for not respecting the award.

[ramaswamy_nv]

Hi Nethra,
First of all I would like to say Belagavi is always an integral part of Karnataka and it continues to be so. If you see the history, at all times it is dominated by Kannadigas. The name “Belagavi” itself is an Kannada word.
Only recently ( after independence ) there started a migration of marati speaking people to wards Belagavi because of many reasons. Even when Mahajan Committee is set up to solve the problem, at that time also Kannadigas were of majority in Belagavi.
Dispute is mainly over Belagavi City ( not over entire Belagavi District.)
Belagavi City is surrounded from three sides by Kannada Majority Areas
Now my Answers with respect to your Questions.

1. As per Mahajan Committee report Majority Speakers are Kannadigas not Maratis. I agree current situation may be different in Belagavi City and Nippani. ( because of uncontrolled, Continuous Migration.) But if you Consider entire Belagavi district then there is no doubt , Kannadigas are at majority.
You Know recently maharashtra Govt has implemented a policy that every body in Maharashtra should learn Marati. Even Supreme Court Up heald this move. So if marati can be imposed on non marati speaking people in Maharashtra then why not Kannada can be imposed on non-kannada speaking people in Karnataka. ( I believe most of the State Govt are already doing it.)

2. With respect to your first point There are only two MLAs who got selected from MES. One is from Nippani anther one is from Belagavi District ( iam not sure ). Karnataka is ready to give Nippani as told by Mahajan Commision. Dispute is only regarding Belagavi City. If a Kannadiga MP is elected from Belagaum then why don’t you think he also represents people from Belagaum city and Nippani ?
With reference to your second point, Constitutionally an city Corporation doesn’t have any rights take a such a big resolution ( or say “ View” as per you )to merge a part of one state to another. Not even our Karnataka or Maharashtra state govt have it. It can be taken only at Parliament.
Don’t you think Corporation has crossed its limit while taking such a Resolution?


3. Yes Kashmir and Telangana problems are quite different from this problem. MES don’t go away from Democratic path because they don’t dare to do so. They know that they will receive same response from other side as well. More over MES is not a representing body of all Maratis in that region.( there are Marati candidates from other parties as well.) It is just a political party which is using emotions of people for its advantage.


4 and 5. For his deeds, he would have been killed if was in any other state other than Karnataka. Any how Kannadigas being Soft people have limited to this treatment instead of beating him physically. I personally support their action and it was really required to teach MES a lesson.

6. It is not “Belagaum Flag” it is MES Flag (Flag used by MES as a Political party). And there is no reason to keep it and worship it like our national Flag. I am not sure currently it is removed or not, but any how it should be removed.

7. Such an argument can not be accepted. I already explained how each state government is imposing state Language to every body in the state.
Govt is providing Primary education in marati itself. Only thing is they have to study Kannada as one language after 3rd standard.

Most of them don’t know that Majority in Solapur, Jatta , Akkalkote in Maharashra are Kannadigas. But they have national spirit and they are supporting maharashtra govt in all the possible way. They don’t have any problem in learning Marati. Same overlapping is found between many states in our country. But no where it created problem like this. But here MES is using this issue from 50 years just to get Votes. Even when More incident happened, the discursion going on was how to use this issue for Political gain.
Regarding Kaveri issue, it is to better speak in a different thread. It is a horrible story where Karnataka is denied of its right full share of water from pre independence period.
I hope your doubt is clear. If it is required I will come up with a detailed analysis with exact figures in future. Any Critics are welcome.

[chanda_s]

Originally Posted by ramaswamy_nv

Hi Nethra,
First of all I would like to say Belagavi is always an integral part of Karnataka and it continues to be so. If you see the history, at all times it is dominated by Kannadigas. The name “Belagavi” itself is an Kannada word.
Only recently ( after independence ) there started a migration of
Dispute is mainly over Belagavi City ( not over entire Belagavi District.)


4 and 5. For his deeds, he would have been killed if was in any other state other than Karnataka. Any how Kannadigas being Soft people have limited to this treatment instead of beating him physically. I personally support their action and it was really required to teach MES a lesson.

.

having stayed in belgaum for 4 years and interacted closely with all concerned as an unconnected neutral party, i know it is an emotional issue for all concerned. the above post only reflects the strong emotions involved.

but when emotions are strong, we do forget our facts and courtesies.

there are a few points i'd like to comment on in the above post.

firstly, there is no clear proof that belgaum derives its name from belagavi. in fact all the official govenment websites of karnataka state say that belgaum is derived from 'venugram' or abode of bamboos. the website of belgaum district and the city corporation state this. as can be seen, it is of sanskrit origin.

there are no official records that support the claim that there is a large scale migration of marathi speaking population into belgaum district. infact it is common knowledge of those who live in belgaum that marathi speaking population is fast dwindling. thee were times when the busy shopping areas of belgaum were completely domnated by marathis; areas like ramdev galli, maruthi galli, ramling khind galli, kirloskar road, shahpur etc whch are the most commercial localities of belgaum were all nealy 100% marathi. it is now in the past few years that we find kannadiga presence there, and rightly so.

the bone of contention is not just the city of belgaum as mentioned in the post but over 800villages mainly in the talukas of belgaum, nippani, khanapur.

lastly, but most importantly, the treatment meted out to vijay more, the mayor of belgaum is, to say the least, inhuman. a mayor is a representative of the city. if he is insulted, the entire city is insulted. and the city contains kannadigas as well. i somehow find it strange that a civil service aspirant is infact supporting the uncivilised act of a group of individuals who have no backing of the kannadiga population. if somebody was present in belgaum as i was on the day of bandh called for by MES to protest the insult to the mayor, they would have seen that the bandh received a complete and heartfelt support of the local kannadigas also. i havent seen a single local kannadiga rejoicing on the occassion of their mayor being manhandled in their own state capital. it s a sign of cowardice that a mob of 20 30 people manhandles two unprepared men. it just makes me wonder why the mob didnt dare to do this in belgaum or khanapur or nippani?

not that MES is a very peace loving organisation. it had its own share of bloodbath. but then attack on a mayor in the vicinity of the legislative assembly of a state is murder of democracy. whatever the provocation be.

i have personally known vijay more, the mayor, for quite some time and he is among the finest gentlemen i met. agreed i dont accept MES politics over a sensitive issue but the fact remains that he is a democratically elected mayor of a city. and being very fair to the MES, they are going by a democratic process to achieve what they think is right. how can anybody find fault with that? if they are wrong, the supreme court will say so. in democracy, people have a right to voice their apprehensions and feelings in a peaceful way.

belgaum used to be the most developed city in the entire north karnataka. now it is relegated to second position after hubli inspite of having the best natural resourses, weather and proximity to port. many local belgaumites feel this is because of intentional neglect of state govt. and strangely i havent found the same degree of kannadiga identity in local kannadigas of belgaum as compared to kannadigas outside belgaum.

the problem is that most of us dont think like indians. we think like maharastrians, kannadigas, andhras etc. and we are not ready to accept anything that doesnt attribute to our view point. we find our own arguments to support our view point and in the process lose sight of the full picture and miss essential details. thats the sad part of the story.

i sincerely hope all of here in this community come out of these narrow mindsets and expand our mental horizons to accommodate everybody. let us rise above these 'narrow domestic walls' and have a pan-indian thought. all of us have differences of opinions but then let us sit down and talk and solve the problems.

especially all of you who aspire to be sitting in the best chairs that the govt of india has to offer; you have to learn to live and let live. and with dignity.

[jigusjaan]

thanks for valuable information