The Karnataka government at the cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to rename the 'Mumbai-Karnataka' region as 'Kittur Karnataka' region, state Law Minister J.C. Madhuswamy confirmed.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had made an announcement in this regard during campaigning for the recent by-polls.
The region comprising Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gadag and Haveri districts was referred to as Mumbai-Karnataka region as they were under Maratha rule once and were included into the state of Karnataka at the time of formation of states on the basis of language. The people of the area have been demanding the renaming of the region to mirror the local culture and language.
Kittur was the capital city of the erstwhile queen Chennamma, who had waged a war against the British and sacrificed her life for the country. The people have welcomed the decision of the government.
The government also decided to hold a winter Assembly session at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi between December 13 and 24.
