Belagavi, 18 Sept

Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar promised that the Belagavi district would bifurcate by the end of the year, and Chikkodi would be made a new district. 

Her comments come after Satish Jarkiholi, the district-incharge-minister, had made similar statements a few weeks ago. 

"The bifurcation will be done before 31 Dec for quick access to people," Hebbalkar said on Thursday during a meeting with members of the Chikkodi Zilla Rachane Horata Samiti at her residence in Belagavi. 

People from Athani taluk, situated around 150kms from district headquarters at Belagavi, have to commute for full a day for their official work, both the ministers had noted. It would be easier if Chikkodi was made a district, they said.

Several Kannada organisations had objected to Jarkiholi’s announcement. They said that the district must remain intact until the border row with Maharashtra in the Supreme Court was settled. 

MORE THAN A BIFURCATION? 

Notably, people from the Gokak region are also demanding a new district, making Gokak as its headquarters.

Government sources indicate that the geographically largest district could be trifurcated with Gokak and Chikkodi as new districts. 

Bailhongal, Ramdurg, Gokak and Savadatti taluks would be included in the proposed Gokak taluk and Athani, Chikkodi, Raibag taluks in the proposed Chikkodi district while Belagavi, Khanapur and Hukkeri taluks would be in Belagavi district.

However, people of Bailhongal, Ramdurg and Savadatti are against joining with Gokak. 

People in Bailhongal have been demanding a separate district for themselves, while people in Savadatti have urged the government to merge them with Dharward district, which is closer, instead of Gokak. 

A LONG HISTORY 

Late chief minister JH Patel, during his tenure from 1996 to 1999 had divided several large districts in the State. However, he did not divide Belagavi to prevent panchayat elections from going into the hands of pro-Maharashtrian groups. Kannada organisations have made similar arguments in the Supreme Court over the border dispute. 

At the time, there were some four-five pro-Maharashtrian legislators in the State Assembly and claimed rights to Belagavi and other Marathi speaking places in Karnataka. They said their election victory was proof that the places must be included in Maharashtra. 

However, governments after Patel did not touch the matter.

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING NOW? 

Both Hebalkar and Jarkiholi said the political power of pro-Maharashtrian has turned to zero. They are never elected to the assembly nor any local body and hence there is no need to be worried. 

Dividing the district is necessary for development and to make life easier for the citizens, they said.