Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Sep 20: State chief minister B S Yediyurappa's initiative to carve out separate Vijayanagar district from Ballari has stirred the proverbial hornet's nest. The chief minister had on Thursday, asked the chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, to put up a proposal to create Vijayanagar district. While some have welcomed the effort to create the 31st district of the state and demanded to bifurcate Belagavi and Uttara Kannada districts too, BJP MLAs from within Ballari have opposed the plan to slice Ballari into two districts.
As soon as it became public that the chief minister had asked the chief secretary to put up a proposal before the cabinet, discordant notes were heard, apart from threats of bandhs and protests. Even BJP legislators Sriramulu and G Somashekhar Reddy have openly opposed the plan. They have stubbornly told the leadership that they do not want bifurcation of their district.
In the meanwhile, people supporting Vijayanagar district with Hagaribommanahalli as its headquarters, have planned bandh on September 22. There is also demand to adopt Harapanahlli as the capital of the new district. Congress leader from Hoovinahadagali P T Parameshwar Naik, has supported the call for separate district formation. Kugligi MLA N Y Gopalakrishna, has asked his taluk to be added to the new district. The chief minister has proposed to form the new district by separating Hospet, Kampli, Hagaribommanahalli, Kottur, Hadagali and Harapanahalli taluks from Ballari, with Hospet as the headquarters of the new district.
A delegation led by Siddalinga Rajadeshikendra Shivacharya Bhagavatpada Mahaswamiji with members Anand Singh, Kampli Gaesh, as well as MLC K C Kondaiah, had met Yediyurappa and requested him to create new Vijayanagar district.
There has been a fresh demand for carving out new district out of Belagavi whereas there is also opposition for this demand. Belagavi currently has 14 taluks. Former minister Satish Jarkiholi has supported the demand. Some leaders from Uttara Kannada district having 12 taluks also have demand for bifurcation of their district.