11 villages of maharashtra demand merger with karnataka for basic facilities

Pune:

Eleven villages in Maharashtra’s Solapur district’s Akkalkot tehsil have asked the district administration to provide them with basic amenities or allow them to be merged with neighboring Karnataka.

The demand for merger comes at a time when the decades-old border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka has flared up once again. Both states lay claim to certain border areas under each other’s control.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had earlier claimed the Jat taluka and Akkalkot tehsil and some “Kannada-speaking” areas of Solapur.

Village panchayats of Kallakarjal, Kegaon, Shegaon, Korsegaon, Alage, Dharsang, Andewadi (Khurd), Hilli, Devikavathe, Mangrul and Shawal in Akkalkot tehsil submitted a list of their demands to the Solapur collector on Monday.

The villages in the list have asked the district administration to provide basic amenities or allow them to merge with Karnataka if their demands are not met.

Sagunabai Hature, sarpanch of Alagi, one of the 11 villages, claimed that these areas do not have proper roads, power supply and water.

Hature said, “Since there is no proper road to our village, teachers and medical staff from the primary health center cannot come to the village. The youth find it difficult to go out for education and other work, as connectivity is lacking There is a shortage.”

He said a resolution was passed in the gram panchayat to submit a letter to the district collector, asking the government to provide basic amenities to these villages or allow them to merge with Karnataka.

Mahantesh Hature, a resident of Alagi, said Karnataka has sufficient water and good road connectivity to nearby areas.

Sarpanch of Pahadi village Appasaheb Shatgar said that these villages have water problem and road connectivity is very poor.

“A lot of water is released from the Ujani dam during the monsoon season and due to improper management, sugarcane fields and houses get flooded. However, water is not released in our areas in summer. We have to approach the concerned leaders for water And have to beg the authorities.” Shatgar said.

He further said that the school infrastructure was inadequate and the healthcare system was also not up to the mark.

Shatgar pointed out that Karnataka had all the basic amenities like motorable roads, street lights and adequate power supply.

He said, “We have no attachment to Karnataka, but how long can we face this injustice? It has been 75 years now.” State.

Several phone calls and a message to Solapur Collector Milind Shambharkar remained unanswered.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)