Ballari: Lawyers and the public in Ballari and Koppal district are anxious over the impact of the demand being made by Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge that the two districts be included under the jurisdiction of the High Court bench at Kalaburagi.
Mr Kharge placed the demand before CM Siddaramaiah on Saturday while inaugurating a unit of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology in Kalaburagi. Although the CM has not agreed to his demand, he said Mr Kharge’s suggestion needs to be looked into. At present, Koppal and Ballari have been attached to the Dharwad bench.
People of these districts are protesting over the proposal to include them under Kalaburgi bench ever since it become a permanent bench in September 2013. They feel Mr Siddaramaiah may even give in to Mr Kharge’s demand in view of the latter’s increasing clout in the party. “Besides, there is no strong leader within the Congress in Ballari or Koppal district to counter Mr Kharge", said a Congress leader opposed to this move.
Mr Kharge, considered a champion of development of the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka who got the region special status under Article 371(J), is sure to earn the anger of people of Ballari and Koppal district for his demand.
The distance between Koppal and Kalaburagi is 418 km, while that between Ballari and Kalaburagi is 405 km- a journey of 10 and 12 hours respectively. Koppal and Ballari district residents, therefore, feel that the Dharwad bench is much better for them (120 km and 200 km away respectively).
