Davangere, September 13, 2013: Pontiffs of different religious maths in and around Harapanahalli taluk have expressed their resentment over the alleged inaction by the government to include the taluk in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

They said they would stage an indefinite hunger strike from Monday, outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, to press for their demand.

Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Sri Chennabasava Shivayogi swami of Nilagunda Veeraktha Math and Veerabhadra Shivacharya Swami said the people of the taluk had been agitating for over three months on the issue.

Individual letters were sent to the government by the elected representatives and pontiffs, urging it to include the taluk in the HK region.

However, the government had remained silent to the plea of the people. Several processions were taken out by political leaders, cutting across party lines, but to no avail.

Hence, the pontiffs said they had taken a decision to resort to another agitation to urge the government on the same.

Chennabasava Shivayogi swami said Harapanahalli was in Bellary district earlier, and during the formation of new districts including Davangere in J.H. Patel’s regime, it was removed from Bellary and included in Davangere.

The government had then assured the people of Harapanahalli that the taluk would remain in HK region, though it had been included in Davangere for administration purposes.

Hosahalli Mallesh, secretary of the Harpanahalli Horata Samiti, said the Nanjundappa report had ranked Harpanahalli as the third most backward taluk in the State.

When the situation was such, why not include the taluk in HK region, he asked.

Source: The Hindu, September 13, 2013