Mumbai: In a swift move, the Maharashtra government has initiated the process to merge 14 villages from Telangana into Chandrapur district, intensifying discussions on interstate border issues. Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced on Wednesday that the state possesses revenue records for these villages, located in Rajura and Jivati talukas, and affirmed that their residents are Maharashtra voters. “The villages will stay in Maharashtra, and we have started the process to merge them,” Bawankule told reporters in Mumbai.
The decision follows a high-level meeting in Mumbai, chaired by Bawankule and attended by MLA Devrao Bhongale, Chandrapur District Collector Vinay Gowda GC, and village representatives. The villagers reportedly raised concerns about administrative and socio-economic challenges, to which Bawankule responded positively, signaling the government’s commitment to addressing their demands. Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant echoed Bawankule’s sentiments, hinting at broader ambitions to resolve border disputes, including with Karnataka. Samant expressed willingness to establish a Marathi language department in Belgaum if supported by Karnataka authorities.
This move has reignited calls for addressing long-standing border issues, particularly along the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut lauded Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the Telangana village merger but urged swift action on 672 villages in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border region, including Belgaum, Nipani, Karwar, and Khanapur.
Raut highlighted the plight of 22 lakh Marathi-speaking people in these areas, alleging imposition of the Kannada language in schools. “Just as the decision was made for these 14 villages, similar efforts are needed for the Karnataka border,” Raut emphasized. The development has sparked debates over interstate boundaries, with Maharashtra pushing to assert its administrative control. As the process unfolds, all eyes are on how Telangana and Karnataka respond to Maharashtra’s territorial ambitions.
