Mumbai: In its bid to resolve the vexed boundary dispute with neighbouring Karnataka, the Maharashtra government has decided to move the Supreme Court, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde announced on February 12.

"The state cabinet has decided to file a petition in the apex court under article 131 of the Indian Constitution to solve the long-pending boundary row with Karnataka," Shinde told a post Cabinet meeting news conference.

A three-member expert committee to provide suggestions in this regard has been set up, the Chief Minister said.

The committee members would be advocate P R Bhandare, advocate B T Walavalkar and Prof N D Patil, he added.

The state Cabinet's decision comes in the wake of a high-powered committee recommending moving Supreme Court.

The high-powered all-party committee, with the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as its chairman and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, Madhu Dandavate, Opposition leader Narayan Rane, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Ram Kapse and Patil as its members, had recommended moving the apex court.

To file the petition, compilations of all documents, proofs, maps and land records would be done by a specially appointed officer, Shinde said.

The entire process may take three to four months, he said.

Asked what would be the state's prayer in its petition, Shinde said it would be decided by the expert committee.

PTI