MH-CM-BELGAUM DISPUTE

Belgaum case: CM Thackeray appoints Shinde, Bhujbal as
coordinators
    Mumbai, Dec 7 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav
Thackeray on Saturday appointed ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and
Eknath Shinde as co-ordinators to oversee his government's
efforts to expedite the case related to the boundary dispute
with Karnataka.
    The dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over
Belgaum and other border areas is pending before the Supreme
Court for many years.
    Thackeray also announced that the state government
will hold a meeting of the lawyers who are representing
Maharashtra in the court soon, a statement from the Chief
Minister's Office said.
     Thackeray himself will discuss the case with senior
lawyer Harish Salve, the statement said.
    Holding a meeting on the long-pending boundary
dispute, the chief minister announced that Bhujbal and Shinde
will be act as co-ordinators for the legal battle.
     Maharashtra claims certain areas including Belgaum,
Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending
that the majority of population in these areas is Marathi-
speaking.
    Thackeray said in the meeting that political
differences should not come in way of speedy resolution of the
dispute.
    "I want to ensure that Maharashtra's position is
strong in the court. Everyone should come together to resolve
the dispute," he added.
    The state government will make every effort to
fast-track the case, and advocate Salve will be requested to
seek an early hearing from the court, he said.
    Apart from ministers Jayant Patil, Bhujbal, Shinde,
Nitin Raut and Subhash Desai, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti
leaders Manohar Kinekar, Arvind Patil, Digambar Patil and
Belgaum Tarun Bharat editor Kiran Thakur were present in the
meeting.
    The Samiti is in the forefront of Marathi-speakers'
agitation for merger of Belgaum and other areas with
Maharashtra. PTI MR
KRK KRK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)