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Hubballi: Seers demand a new Jamkhandi district

Leaders cutting across political lines, who attended the meeting, included several from the Congress, BJP and JD(S).

Hubballi: The demands for bifurcation of Ballari and Belagavi districts seem to be having a domino effect as the movement for the creation of a new Jamkhandi district from Bagalkot has now gained momentum here.

The proposal, which has been pending for several decades, was resurrected with as many as 16 seers meeting here on Monday to discuss a strategy to revive the movement, which has the support of local legislator, Anand Nyamagoudar and other senior politicians. Leaders cutting across political lines, who attended the meeting, included several from the Congress, BJP and JD(S).

It was resolved at the meeting to submit a plea on the creation of the new district to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa when he visits the town on October 4 to inspect the drought relief operations.

The sugarcane growing belt of Jamkhandi was the first princely state among the nearly 600 provinces in the country to merge with free India after then home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel gave a call to them to unite. Although the then ruler, Maharaja Shankar Rao Patwardhan, had put three conditions for the merger, the agitators regret that the demand for district status has not been fulfilled even decades after Independence.

“The government has fulfilled only two conditions — building the Bagalkot-Kudachi railway line and Jambagi bridge to provide connectivity to Maharashtra. But Jamkhandi deserves a district status as it has all the infrastructure necessary,” said legislator Nyamagoudar. Strongly backing him, Congress leader, S.R. Patil said the move to make it a district would help comprehensive development of the region.

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