Belagavi District with 14 taluks in Karnataka, set to split 3 ways: Minister | Hubballi News – Times of India

BELAGAVI: Karnataka has initiated discussions to trifurcate Belagavi — the largest district in Karnataka in terms of its size, covering approximately 13,400 square kms of land mass and straddling two Lok Sabha constituencies and part of a third one and 18 assembly segments.

PWD minister Satish Jarkiholi, who is also the minister in-charge of Belagavi, said the issue of Belagavi’s trifurcation into three separate districts — Gokak, Chikkodi and Belagavi — was raised during chief minister Siddaramaiah’s recent meeting with MLAs from North Karnataka and the government was “seriously considering this suggestion”.
However, Jarkiholi was quick to add that neither has any timeline been fixed for the trifurcation, nor has the government decided on the process to be followed to execute the plan.

Those demanding Belagavi’s trifurcation point out that splitting the district into three will help bring the administrative units closer to the people, apart from ensuring easy access to funds for development work.
People from Chikodi, Gokak, Bailhongal, Hukkeri, Athani and Khanapur are now required to travel anywhere between 100 and 200 km to reach the district headquarters in Belagavi. Belagavi is the second-largest district in the state with a population of approximately 54.2 lakhs, after Bengaluru Urban with 87.5 lakhs.
Belagavi district is home to 8.4% of the state’s population of approximately 6.4 crore. With 18 MLAs, Belagavi also accounts for 8% of the state assembly’s total strength of 224 legislators.
Jarkiholi, patriarch of the Gokak-based Jarkiholi clan, during his first visit to the district as minister, had earlier hinted that the current government was keen on trifurcating Belagavi.
The demand to divide the district was first put forward in 1997, but it was never implemented primarily due to political reasons.
Under the previous BJP-led government, when the Vijayanagara district was carved out of Ballari, making it the 31st district of Karnataka, Congress, then in the opposition, had launched a campaign under Jarkiholi, demanding either bifurcation or trifurcation of Belagavi.
The Congress demand found much traction with many, given the sheer size of Belagavi, which currently comprises 18 assembly seats, 14 taluks and 506-gram panchayats, including 1,380 villages. It covers two Lok Sabha constituencies – Belagavi and Chikodi — and part of the Uttara Kannada parliamentary seat as well.