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More Maharashtra areas wish to merge with Karnataka
Recently, approximately ten gram panchayats in Kaagal taluk, Kolhapur district, passed a unanimous resolution requesting their merger with Karnataka.
Marathi-speaking residents in certain regions of Maharashtra are following the footsteps of Kannadigas residing in Kannada-dominated areas of Maharashtra and expressed their desire to merge with Karnataka. The decision comes in response to alleged negligence by the Maharashtra government in providing essential civic amenities and water resources to their localities, people close to the developments said.
Recently, approximately ten gram panchayats in Kaagal taluk, Kolhapur district, passed a unanimous resolution requesting their merger with Karnataka.
This decision follows the lead of similar actions taken by Jat in Sangli district, Akkalkot in Solapur district, and ten villages in Deoni taluk, Latur district.
The trigger for this resolution is the Maharashtra government’s decision to supply water from the Dudhganga River to Ichalkaranji, a town with a population of around 500,000, under the Sulakod Water Supplying scheme.
In response, the Dudhganga Bachao Kruti Samiti, representing the gram panchayats in Kaagal taluk, has firmly opposed this project. The committee, comprising more than ten gram panchayats, said that merging with Karnataka will ensure access to essential facilities, including a regular water supply for domestic use and agriculture.
Kaagal taluk, situated near the border of Karnataka, has over 90% Marathi-speaking residents. Despite being geographically within Maharashtra, the people in this region rely on Karnataka for various services, including education, in the nearby commercially developed Nippani town.
During a joint meeting attended by representatives and residents from Sulakod, Kasaba, Saagoan, Mouje Saahoan, Ranadipewadi, and five other panchayats, strong opposition was expressed towards supplying Dudhganga river water to Ichalkaranji.
“Kaagal taluk, even during monsoon, suffers a shortage of water. Things would turn worse if supplied the Dudhganga river water to Ichalkaranji. So we oppose the government’s project, else ask Karnataka to merge us,” people part of the general meeting said.
Gram Panchayat members and people from Sulakod, Kasaba, Saagoan, Mouje Saahoan, Ranadipewadi, and five other panchayats attended the meeting. The meeting questioned why the government cannot supply water from the Panchaganga River, which is flowing near Inchalkaranji town, instead of the Dudhganga river.
Parusharam Patil, a vice president of a gram panchayat, told HT over the phone that the government had dropped the plan of supplying water to Ichalkaranji from the Varana reservoir; however, now it wanted to supply water from Dudhganga river, on which the people of Kaagal have complete rights. “If moved further with its project, we will draw the attention of the entire nation by passing the resolution of getting merged into Karnataka, where we can get all the basic civic requirements,” Patil said.
The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), an organization advocating for the interests of Maharashtrians, expressed concern over the decision.
An MES spokesperson emphasised the sensitivity of the matter and urged the Maharashtra government to take positive action before the situation escalates further.
This resolution seeking a merger with Karnataka is not an isolated incident. In December 2022, 11 gram panchayats in Akkalkot taluk of Solapur district received police notices after expressing a similar desire to merge with Karnataka. These gram panchayats, covering around 42 villages with a significant Kannada-speaking population, cited Maharashtra’s negligence in addressing developmental issues as the reason for their decision.
Furthermore, 11 other gram panchayats comprising 25 villages in Jat taluk of Sangli district and ten villages in Deoni taluk, Latur district, also presented resolutions and memoranda to the district collectors, requesting NOCs to merge with Karnataka due to the lack of basic civic amenities and developmental support from Maharashtra.
In response to the resolutions passed by the panchayats in Jat taluk, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde offered a ₹1,900-crore development package and assured the provision of essential amenities within a year.
