Will visit Belagavi after Nagpur session, says Maharashtra minister

BELAGAVI: Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai assured Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) delegation that he will be visiting Belagavi and meet pro-Maharashtra leaders after the conclusion of the winter sessions of Karnataka in Belagavi, and of Maharashtra in Nagpur.

Chandrakant Patil, another Maharashtra minister, will accompany him, he said. Desai held talks with the MES delegation during his visit to Sinoli village in Maharashtra on the border of Karnataka Friday evening. The MES delegation led by Vikas Kalghatgi met Desai to discuss the border dispute.

He said that the winter sessions of Karnataka and Maharashtra will take place at the same time on December 19, where all Maharashtra ministers will be busy in Nagpur for the session.

Desai said that for the visit, he will officially inform the state government.There has been some positive changes in the attitude of the Karnataka government after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with chief ministers of both the states, he said.

A few members of MES urged the minister to establish a helpline for pro-Maharashtrians, who are facing severe problems due to the border dispute.Before visiting Belagavi, Desai said he and Patil will have a detailed discussion with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde regarding the border dispute.