BELAGAVI
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot have underlined the need for a greater coordination between the local administration in all the districts on both sides of Karnataka and Maharashtra border.
"The governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka will be informed about the problems which should be solved at the State level through discussions between officials of both the States,'' said Koshyari.
The issue of liquor from Goa that was being smuggled in bordering districts of Belagavi, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg was also taken up for discussion and the excise departments of both the States agreed to conduct joint operations wherever necessary to check the flow of illicit liquor from the coastal state. The two governors were addressing the top officials of Karnataka and Maharashtra at a coordination meeting held at the Residency Club in Kolhapur on Friday.
The duo appreciated the coordination that existed between the States and said such joint efforts should be bolstered further to ensure that all the problems faced at the State level between the States get resolved effectively. Collectors and Superintendents of Police of five districts of border areas of Maharashtra and four districts of Karnataka were present at the meeting.
Gehlot said the local administration in the border districts should work in tandem and ensure a better understanding between each other to work on important issues related to both the States. He also stressed the need to work on making the governments' schemes beneficial to the people.
Deputy Collector of Solapur, Waghmare said that 40 sugar factories in his district produced molasses and jaggery. "In three years, 24 offences have been registered in connection with the traffic of molasses and that around 703 metric tonnes of molasses has been sold for production of illicit liquor in the last three years,'' he informed. As a preventive measure, it was necessary to maintain a proper coordination between the excise authorities of both the States.
Collector of Latur, Prithviraj demanded payment of arrears for the release of water from Karanja dam and installation of gates of Sindhikamath Cattery to divert water to Chandrapur Barrage in Bidar district so that farmers in Karnataka can utilise the water.
Deputy Commissioner of Belagavi, Nitesh Patil raised the issue of release of water from the dams of Maharashtra into Karnataka and said there was a need to effectively manage the release of water from the dams to avoid floods in Krishna river during the monsoons. The meeting also came to a consensus on having signboards displayed in both Kannada and Marathi in the border areas for the benefit of people who spoke both the languages here.
