Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi has pressed the Karnataka government to make a conclusive decision on dividing Belagavi district by December 31, 2025, warning that any delay beyond this deadline will effectively stall the process due to upcoming census-related restrictions.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Kadadi referred to recent circulars issued by the Census Relations Centre, urging all states to conclude any administrative boundary modifications before the year’s end. “With house listing for the census set to begin on January 1, 2026, and expected to last nearly two years, no structural changes, such as forming new districts, can be carried out once the process is underway,” he noted, calling for immediate government action.
Expressing disappointment over decades of inaction, Kadadi said the demand to bifurcate Belagavi has been ignored for over 30 years. “Each government has made empty assurances. Recommendations from several commissions are lying idle, blocked by those with vested interests,” he said.
He mentioned that even District In-Charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi supports the division, stressing that Belagavi, being one of Karnataka’s largest districts, has become too vast to manage effectively. “Senior officers are overburdened, funds are not utilised efficiently, and development is being hampered,” he added.
When asked which areas could be carved into new districts, Kadadi proposed Chikkodi and Gokak as possibilities. He also supported Bailhongal as a district, provided it collaborates in creating Gokak. “Let there be a public dialogue guided by commission findings,” he added.
On fears that the move might rekindle the Karnataka–Maharashtra border dispute, Kadadi dismissed the concerns, stating, “That chapter is closed. District reorganisation is purely an administrative matter and unrelated to boundary conflicts.”
He concluded by urging the state to act swiftly: “If the government is genuinely committed to decentralisation and faster development, it must act within this final window. People here deserve better governance.”
