Bengaluru, Nov 12 (IANS) Congress MLA and President of the North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, Raju Kage, has written a letter to the Governor of Karnataka, Thawarchand Gehlot, on Wednesday, demanding a separate state for 15 districts in North Karnataka.

In his letter addressed to the Governor, Raju Kage stated that he was demanding separate statehood for 15 districts of the North Karnataka region for better administrative convenience and comprehensive development.

The proposed state would comprise 15 districts — Bidar, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Koppal, Raichur, Karwar, Haveri, Vijayanagara, Ballari, and Davanagere.

He noted that since the unification of Karnataka, all sectors of this region have been subjected to constant injustice, discrimination, and step-motherly treatment.

“The creation of another Kannada-speaking state would be a matter of pride for us,” he claimed.

“North Karnataka is rich in natural resources and is a land of prosperity. This region has made significant contributions towards the preservation of the Kannada language and the unification of Karnataka,” MLA Kage stated.

“I extend my full support to the collection of signatures by the representatives of the people under the North Karnataka Agitation Committee. They have collected more than one crore signatures and written opinions,” he said.

He further mentioned that a memorandum in this regard had been submitted to the Governor on January 5, 2024.

The committee had also submitted memoranda to the President of India on January 3, 2024, and to the Prime Minister on January 10, 2024, he recalled.

“The people of this region are demanding a separate state for the comprehensive development of the area. You are kindly requested to consider this appeal and recommend to the Centre the creation of a separate state for the North Karnataka region,” he stated.

–IANS

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