Belgaum to be renamed as Belagavi

BANGALORE: Karnataka government today decided to rename Belgaum as Belagavi and an official announcement in this regard will be made on November one, the state formation day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said today.

Belgaum is in Karnataka but Maharashtra claims that it should belong to it.

Siddaramaiah made the announcement after a meeting of leaders of political parties, Kannada litterateurs and various organisations in connection with the case on the boundary row between Maharashtra and Karnataka pending before the Supreme Court.

Maharashtra has moved the Supreme Court on the boundary row with Karnataka maintaining its consistent stand that the Mahajan Commission report which says Belgaum is part of the state is final.

Siddaramaiah said the meeting decided that a review petition should be filed in the apex court stating that preliminary issues should be decided first before the recording of evidence in the boundary row case.

He also stressed that according to Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution, parliament is supreme and it is the only forum to decide on issues of such nature (as boundary).

The government has also opposed the setting up of 44 Marathi schools in Jat taluk of Sangli district of Maharashtra where a majority of Kannada-speaking people reside, Siddaramaiah said.