Belagavi, Jun 23: A Karnataka Minister has said there will be 50 States in the country after the 2024 general Lok Sabha election and north Karnataka will be one among the new ones.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to form 50 States in the country after the 2024 elections. I came to know that he is mulling over it, Umesh Katti, who holds the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, told reporters here.

He said the idea of splitting the State is good because the burden of population has increased over the years.

Such thought is good because population is increasing, and that region (north Karnataka) should also see development. North Karnataka should become a State and develop. We will remain as Kannadigas but there is no harm if the State (Karnataka) is divided, Katti said on the sidelines of an event.

Stating that the idea of forming 50 States was good given the increase in population, Katti said it has increased from two crore to 6.5 crore in the last 60 years.

Two States should be carved out of Karnataka, four in Uttar Pradesh, three in Maharashtra, and so on, the Minister said.

Reacting to Katti's statement, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said there was no proposal at the government level for separate Statehood to north Karnataka.

"This is not the first time Umesh Katti has spoken about it. He has been saying it for many years. He himself should reply to this question," the Chief Minister told reporters in New Delhi.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said Katti's statement is not an issue at all.

Katti has been saying this. This is not the first time that he has spoken about separate statehood to north Karnataka. He has said it more than 100 times till now. Karnataka is one. Many Kannadigas have struggled to form a united Karnataka, Ashoka said in Bengaluru.

He added that Bommai would discuss with Katti on this issue.

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Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.

The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.

The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.

“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.

“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.

Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.

Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.

“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.