Will keep trying to help Marathi speakers in Karnataka border areas: Maharashtra minister

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] March 16 (ANI): Following Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's remark that he would take measures to stop Maharashtra from offering the health insurance scheme in 865 border villages, Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai on Thursday said the Eknath Shinde government will keep trying to help the Marathi-speaking people provide health facilities.
"Talks on 865 villages on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra are already going on. The matter has also been to Supreme Court before. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called on Chief Ministers of both states to find a compromised solution,"
If the Karnataka government takes any action to stop these facilities, we will anyhow keep trying to help the Marathi-speaking people provide health facilities," added the Minister.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai on Thursday strongly condemned the Maharashtra Cabinet's decision on the health insurance scheme for border villages between the two states.
Addressing mediapersons, Bommai said, "Maharashtra cabinet's resolution announcing health insurance scheme for the people of Karnataka border is an unforgivable crime. When spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said we should wait for the Supreme Court's order. It was agreed that there should be no provocation. Now, this is violated. The order should be withdrawn immediately."
This matter will also be brought to the attention of the Home Minister, CM Bommai said Karnataka can also announce projects like this. "Many taluks and gram panchayats have already decided that we are not getting justice in Maharashtra and should join Karnataka. In such a situation, the Maharashtra government should act very responsibly," he said.
This comes after the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra recently announced an additional Rs 54 crore to implement the 'Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana' in villages bordering Karnataka.
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on the dispute with Karnataka over border areas saying that the state will legally pursue the inclusion of 865 disputed Marathi-speaking villages that are in Karnataka.
Earlier, the Maharashtra assembly unanimously passed the resolution which says that Maharashtra will fight the pending case in the Supreme Court with full strength for the inclusion of each and every inch of 865 villages including Belgavi, Karwar, Nipani, Bidar Bhalki in Maharashtra.
The resolution also condemned the Karnataka administration for its anti-Marathi stand in the border area.
According to the resolution the Maharashtra government will stand behind the Marathi people in border areas and will go for a legal fight in the Supreme Court to ensure that these areas become a part of Maharashtra.
The Central government should urge the Karnataka Government to implement the decision taken in the meeting with the Union Home Minister and the government should be given the understanding to guarantee the safety of the Marathi people in the border areas, the resolution read.
Notably, the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka dates back to the implementation of the State Reorganization Act, of 1956. The then Maharashtra government had demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka.
Following this, a four-member committee was formed by both states. The Maharashtra government had expressed willingness to transfer 260 predominantly Kannada-speaking villages, but the proposal was turned down by Karnataka. Both governments later approached the Supreme Court to expedite the matter. (ANI)