Border dispute issue: Patil Puttappa says task force is not doing enough

Expressing disappointment over the functioning of the Task Force on Karnataka Maharashtra Border Dispute Case headed by the former High Court judge M. Ramakrishna, journalist Patil Puttappa has urged Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to take steps to activate the task force.

In a letter to Mr. Gowda, Mr. Puttappa said the task force was not working to the expected level. After appointment of Mr. Ramakrishna the task force has not even convened a single meeting. It appears that the even the legal cell of the State government was not taking up the matter seriously, he said.

Maharashtra has taken the border issue to the Supreme Court as a last resort after all other tactics it applied had failed. The Supreme Court order would settle the issue once and for all.

Hence, the Karnataka State government should make serious efforts to present its arguments effectively before the Supreme Court, he said.

Mr. Puttappa cautioned that even a slight negligence on the part of the State government may result in losing the case to Maharashtra, which was making all efforts and applying all gimmicks to irritate Karnataka over the border issue.

Hence, the government should immediately call for a meeting of the former judges M.N. Venkatachaliah, V.S. Malimath and Rama Jois so that a serious discussion on the issue can be held.