Maharashtra Seeks Early Supreme Court Hearing in Long-Standing Border Dispute with Karnataka

The Maharashtra government has urged the Supreme Court for an early hearing on its 2004 lawsuit challenging Karnataka's administration over 865 Marathi-speaking villages and towns. The legal dispute centers on regions including Belagavi, Karwar, and Nipani under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

NEW DELHI: The Maharashtra government has approached the Supreme Court seeking an early listing for its 2004 lawsuit regarding the long-standing border dispute with neighbouring Karnataka.

During court proceedings on Tuesday, counsel representing Maharashtra urged a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana to schedule the matter for hearing, stating that the pleadings in the case are now complete.

The legal challenge contests Karnataka's administration over 865 Marathi-speaking villages and towns, which include Belagavi, also known as Belgaum, along with Karwar and Nipani. Maharashtra's counsel argued before the bench that the inclusion of these Marathi-speaking areas within Karnataka runs counter to the foundational principles of linguistic state reorganisation.

In response to the request for an expedited schedule, the bench noted that it could not immediately assure a listing for the case.

The underlying legal dispute dates back to an original suit filed by Maharashtra in the Supreme Court, which challenges both Karnataka's administrative control over the disputed regions and the provisions of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

Under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, state boundaries across India were redrawn primarily along linguistic lines. During this process, Belagavi was incorporated into the erstwhile Mysore state—now modern-day Karnataka—owing to a Kannada plurality, while adjacent regions with Marathi-speaking majorities remained within the state of Maharashtra.

"Inter-state border disputes and matters involving territorial administration carry significant administrative and economic implications for regional planning and commerce. When legal proceedings concerning state boundaries and resource distribution span decades, businesses operating across these borders often face regulatory complexities. Resolving such constitutional and administrative matters through the judicial system provides long-term clarity for governance and economic activity in the affected regions." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes