BANGALORE: The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to prepare a detailed response to be filed in the Supreme Court on a December 2005 petition by the Maharashtra Government seeking Union Territory status for Marathi-speaking areas across the border in Karnataka.

Law Minister Basavaraj Horatti told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting that his department would prepare a detailed note ahead of receiving notice from the Supreme Court on the issue.

In December 2005, in a new twist to the long-running border dispute between the two States, a high-power committee of the Maharashtra Government headed by N.D. Patil sought Union Territory status for Marathi-speaking areas comprising 882 villages and cities such as Belgaum and Karwar pending the disposal of a special leave petition before the Supreme Court. The Maharashtra Government filed the petition. This development came in the wake of the dissolution of the Belgaum City Corporation Council by the State Government after it passed a resolution demanding that the Centre take steps to solve the border dispute.

Job guarantee scheme

Mr. Horatti said the Cabinet decided that the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme would be implemented in Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Davangere and Chitradurga districts to ensure 100 days of employment a year for one member of every eligible family.

Jobs would be provided in tank restoration and maintenance, road building and other community related activities. However, building construction was not covered. The deputy commissioners of the districts concerned had been told to ensure that the scheme was implemented, he said.

Age limit to be raised

The Cabinet decided to raise the age limit for unemployed graduates eligible to be recruited as high school teachers. For candidates in the general category, the age limit has been increased from 33 years to 40, for OBCs from 36 years to 43 and for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from 38 years to 45.

The Government had decided to replace the former Congress Minister S.R. Morey as the head of the committee formed two years to help resolve the dispute over the ownership of the controversial Idgah Maidan in Hubli, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive. Mr. Horatti said it had not been decided as to who would be nominated in Mr Morey's place.

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