The decades-long question of whether Belagavi should be divided into two or more districts is back in public discussion.
Recently, members of the Gokak Bar Association convened an emergency meeting and passed an unanimous resolution seeking the creation of the new Gokak district.
They have asked the government to start preparations for the creation of the new district, by setting up offices like the Deputy Director of Public Instruction, zilla panchayat engineering division and deputy directors of other departments.
On the other hand, Chikkodi MP and senior Congress leader Prakash Hukkeri, has announced the setting up of the office of the additional Deputy Commissioner of Excise in Chikkodi.
He has been leading a pack of activists who have been pressing for a separate Chikkodi district.
Belagavi is among the biggest districts in the State with over 48 lakh population.
With a recent government announcement, the number of taluks here has gone up to 14. The district that has portions of green hilly areas and dry plains, is represented by 18 MLAs and three Lok Sabha members.
There are four MLCs and one Rajya Sabha member in the district. There are 1,278 villages and over 300 hamlets in 512 gram panchayats in the district spread on an area of 13,415 square kilometres.
Revenue Department officers, who coordinate activities of other departments, say the district is too big and unwieldy. “The Deputy Commissioner or the zilla panchayat need more than a year to tour the district or to acquaint themselves with key officers. When the review of works and follow up or regular schemes is very difficult, how are officials expected to implement innovative ideas or programmes,” a senior officer said.
The renewed demand for the division of the district came from the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who said that the district would have to be divided sooner or later.
“Whether there will be two new districts or three, will have to be decided,” he said.
However, the government’s plans to divide district for administrative convenience has not gone down well with Kannada organisations. Senior activists, led by the former Mayor Siddanagaouda Patil condemned the move.
They said that dividing the district would mean spreading the Kannada- Marathi issue into two or more districts.
“The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti leaders who are demanding the merger of Belagavi into Maharashtra will start demanding the merger of Chikkodi and Gokak in the neighbouring state. Now, the law and order problems that are caused due to the Kannada- Marathi issue, that disrupt normal life in Belagavi, will spread to the new district headquarter towns. Hence, the government should not attempt division,” Ashok Chandaragi, convenor of the federation of Kannada organisations, said.