BELAGAVI: A fresh skirmish has opened in the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra with the Belagavi district administration saying it will issue notices to KLES Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Arihant Hospital for rolling out a health scheme launched by Maharashtra for Marathi- speaking people in 865 villages on the border.
Maharashtra has laid claim to these villages and insists they should be merged with that state.The district administration has also decided to send notices to four helpline centres opened by the Maharashtra government in Karnataka to implement the scheme.
Nitesh Patil, Belagavi district deputy commissioner, said, “I have asked the district health officer to issue notices to both hospitals and the four centres over implementation of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Health Insurance Scheme. We will check if it infringes the KPME Act. We will also bring it to the notice of the government and seek directions.”
However, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) has taken serious exception to the decision, insisting the district administration and government of Karnataka should not be “so antiMarathi” and that “Maharashtra isn’t in Pakistan”.
“It’s not as if Maha- rashtra has implemented a health scheme in Karnataka,” said Vikas Kalaghatagi, MES office bearer. “The idea is to help poor Marathi speaking people in the border area, directly from the CM’s Fund. It’s the prerogative of the CM how s/he utilises the fund. The DC’s comments are unfortunate and unconstitutional.”
Amid the row, members of several pro-Kannada organisations met Patil at his office on Thursday. They submitted a memorandum demanding that the administration put an end to the health scheme.
Ashok Chandaragi, head of an action committee of Kannada organizations in Belagavi, alleged there is “malicious intent” behind implementing the scheme. “The dispute is in the Supreme Court and Maharashtra is trying to show a higher number of Marathi speaking people in the area. Implementing any scheme in the name of language is illegal. We oppose it,” Chandaragi said.
Maharashtra has laid claim to these villages and insists they should be merged with that state.The district administration has also decided to send notices to four helpline centres opened by the Maharashtra government in Karnataka to implement the scheme.
Nitesh Patil, Belagavi district deputy commissioner, said, “I have asked the district health officer to issue notices to both hospitals and the four centres over implementation of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Health Insurance Scheme. We will check if it infringes the KPME Act. We will also bring it to the notice of the government and seek directions.”
However, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) has taken serious exception to the decision, insisting the district administration and government of Karnataka should not be “so antiMarathi” and that “Maharashtra isn’t in Pakistan”.
“It’s not as if Maha- rashtra has implemented a health scheme in Karnataka,” said Vikas Kalaghatagi, MES office bearer. “The idea is to help poor Marathi speaking people in the border area, directly from the CM’s Fund. It’s the prerogative of the CM how s/he utilises the fund. The DC’s comments are unfortunate and unconstitutional.”
Amid the row, members of several pro-Kannada organisations met Patil at his office on Thursday. They submitted a memorandum demanding that the administration put an end to the health scheme.
Ashok Chandaragi, head of an action committee of Kannada organizations in Belagavi, alleged there is “malicious intent” behind implementing the scheme. “The dispute is in the Supreme Court and Maharashtra is trying to show a higher number of Marathi speaking people in the area. Implementing any scheme in the name of language is illegal. We oppose it,” Chandaragi said.