MH-BORDER-DISPUTE

Maha-Karnataka border dispute: Fadnavis chairs meeting
    Mumbai, Mar 2 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis Saturday chaired a high-powered committee
meeting on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute and
discussed various legal issues.
    A statement from the chief minister's office said
state Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil, Industries Minister
Subhash Desai and Leader of Opposition in the state
Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde attended the meeting.
    Speaking to reporters later, Munde said the meeting
was held for the first time in two years after the Maharashtra
Ekikaran Samiti and he followed up on it.
    "Positive discussion was held on many issues. The
ekikaran samiti representatives and I demanded that Maratha
youth residing in the 865 villages situated in Karnataka along
the Maharashtra border, (claimed by the latter) be included in
the 16 per cent Maratha quota for jobs and education," Munde
said.
    He said there was also a demanded to provide benefits
of schemes of the state's Annabhau Sathe Financial Development
Corporation to these youth.
    Fees of lawyers representing the state in the border
dispute being heard in the Supreme Court and presence of
Maharashtra ministers and bureaucrats during the hearing in SC
were also discussed, Munde said. PTI MR
BNM BNM