VIZIANAGARAM: The border disputes between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh has taken a twist after the officials from the neighbouring state criticised the Vizianagaram administration for organising Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru programme in the tribal villages of Kothia panchayat.
The tribal villages are located in the areas bordering Koraput district of Odisha and Salur mandal in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Both the state governments claim that the areas fall within their respective territories. The dispute has been there since 1960 and is still pending with the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, Vizianagaram collector Vivek Yadav and former Salur MLA RP Bhanja Deo visited Tala Ganjeipadar village in Kotia panchayat limit and distributed blankets and pensions to 65 beneficiaries as part of the Janmabhoomi programme.
Claiming that the Koraput administration executes all welfare measures in Kotia panchayat, collector Anupam Saha sent the sub-collector and Pottangi tehsildar to visit Tala Ganjeipadar village and submit a report.
Pottangi MLA Prafulla Pangi criticised the Vizianagaram district administration for conducting the Janmabhoomi programme, dubbing it as a move by Vizianagaram officials to take credit from their government.
It is learnt that Koraput sub-divisional magistrate Krutibas Rout and a few other officials stopped the vehicles of Andhra officials when they were returning after the Janamabhoomi programme at Diguva Ganjayiguda village and heated arguments were exchanged. However, Vizianagaram collector Vivek Yadav saw no wrong in holding the Janmabhoomi meetings in Kotia.
“What’s wrong here? The border dispute related to Kothia tribal pockets are still pending with the Supreme Court and both the governments are implementing welfare schemes for the benefit of the tribals. When we visited the villages on Tuesday, the residents urged us to lay roads which we will bring to the notice of our government,” Vivek Yadav told TNIE. The Odisha government started laying cement roads in the tribal pockets in the recent past.