Karnataka set to fight boundary row with Maharashtra in SC, says CM Bommai
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said his government has made all preparations to pursue the legal battle over its boundary dispute with Maharashtra in the Supreme Court.
The development comes after the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra appointed ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai to coordinate with a legal team regarding the court case on the issue.
Bommai told reporters on Monday that the state has formed a team of senior advocates to fight the case in the Apex court when it comes up for hearing.
The team, according to Bommai, will have former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, Shyam Diwan, former Karnataka advocate general Uday Holla and Maruti Jirale.
"The team has made all preparations on how to contest the case (in the Supreme Court). Tomorrow, I will also have a video conference with these lawyers," the Karnataka chief minister said.
Bommai claimed that the maintainability of the case has not yet been decided, let alone the main petition.
"Hence, we have made all preparations to assert that the petition cannot be maintained," he added.
The CM said that under Article 3 of the Constitution, the State Reorganisation Act was passed. After the reorganisation of states, there is no instance of any review plea ever considered in the country, he added.
Bommai alleged that the Maharashtra politics was dependent only on border rows.
"What has happened in Maharashtra is that the border dispute itself has become a political object. Irrespective of the party affiliation, all the political parties for their political reasons raise the issue. But they will never succeed."
Maharashtra, since its inception in 1960, has been entangled in a dispute with Karnataka over the status of Belgaum (also called Belagavi) district and 80 other Marathi speaking villages, which are in the control of the southern state.
The chief minister stressed that the state government is strong enough to protect its borders.
"Moreover, when it comes to the Kannada state, language and water, we all fight unitedly. In the coming days as well, we will fight together," Bommai said.
He said he will write to the Leader of Opposition and heads of other political parties on this issue.
Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah too had cautioned the state government to wake up to the Maharashtra government's move.
"Maharashtra government has taken special interest in Belagavi border issue. @BJP4Karnataka should immediately wake up & call for an all-party meeting to discuss the way forward," the Congress stalwart tweeted.
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IMF approves USD 206 million emergency funding for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka's recovery
Colombo (PTI): The IMF has approved an emergency funding of USD 206 million under its rapid finance instrument to help Sri Lanka “address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability”.
The cyclone caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left over 643 people dead.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the disaster has created urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, generating significant fiscal pressures and balance-of-payments needs.
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The emergency financial support provided by the IMF under the rapid finance instrument will help address these pressures, it said.
The IMF added that the cyclone devastation hit when the Fifth Review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout was nearing completion.
“Given the time needed to assess the economic impact of the cyclone and examine how an IMF-supported programme can best support Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction efforts while preserving objectives and policy priorities, the Fifth Review has been deferred," it said.
"An IMF mission team will visit Sri Lanka in early 2026 to resume discussions,” it added.
The 48-month extended fund facility deal with the IMF in March 2023 carried hard reforms to Sri Lanka's welfare-based governance.
It was signed after Sri Lanka plunged into an unprecedented economic meltdown with its first-ever sovereign default.
Several hours before the IMF decision, the parliament here approved without a vote a supplementary estimate of LKR 500 billion, which the government said was required to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster.
