MINISTERS CHANDRAKANT Patil and Shambhuraj Desai are set to meet members of the Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti in Belgaum on December 3 regarding the Maharashtra -Karnataka border issue. They were invited by the organisation on Monday. The Maharashtra government last week had appointed the two cabinet ministers as nodal ministers to coordinate with the legal team for the court case on the border dispute. Belgaum is presently a part of Karnataka. Taking to social media on Monday, Patil said, "The Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti has expressed that we should visit Belgaum and hold a dialogue with them about the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue. I and nodal minister Shambhuraj Desai have now decided to go to Belgaum on December 3, spend the whole day there, and hold discussions and deliberations. With meetings and discussions, we will certainly be able to find a solution." Patil also posted the invitation letter sent by the Samiti along with his statement. The samiti said, "While the matter of the border dispute is in the Supreme Court, and you have been appointed as nodal ministers for the issue, we would like to invite you to Belgaum for discussions on this issues, and some other issues as well. We request you to visit Belgaum as soon as possible." On Friday last week, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the government will provide financial assistance to public and education, social, charitable and cultural institutions in 865 villages on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border. The funds for this assistance will be drawn from the Chief Minister's Charitable Donation Fund.
