Mumbai, Mar 17: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today said the state will fight its case vigorously in the Supreme Court on the border dispute with neighbouring Karnataka.

Replying to a motion thanking Governor S M Krishna for his address to the joint sitting of both houses in the Legislature, Mr Deshmukh said the next hearing of the case is in the first week of April and Maharashtra has engaged the best lawyers, like Harish Salve and Shivaji Jadhav, to fight the case.

''The Empowered Committee has decided to move the Supreme Court as a last resort after all efforts for a consensus between the two states failed. I am sure we will get justice in the Supreme Court,'' he added.

The state government has set up a core group under senior Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) leader N D Patil to monitor the progress of the case in the apex court and hold discussions with the lawyers.

Mr Deshmukh said the people of Maharashtra and the entire Legislature were solidly behind the Marathi-speaking people of the border areas like Belgaum and Nipani.

''We are also helping them to preserve and promote Marathi language in these areas,''he added.

UNI