BALLARI: The survey to fix the inter-state border between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the Ballari reserve forest area was restarted on Saturday on directions from the Prime Minister’s Office. A team of the Survey of India officials visited the border area and is expected to submit a report to the Centre soon.
According to officials, many of the inter-state boundary markers in the villages of Tumati Vithalapur, Malappanagudi and Siddapur have been destroyed. The process of identifying the border will be taken up afresh. The survey work resumed after mining activist Tapal Ganesh wrote to the PMO over the delay in fixing the border near Tamati and Obulapuram.
Ganesh told The New Sunday Express that the boundary marking will be done as per the Supreme Court order. In 2006, a mining company encroached upon some areas in Tamati on the Karnataka side and Obalapuram on the Andhra Pradesh side by changing the boundary markers.
“To fix the inter-state boundary accurately, the Apex Court asked the Survey of India to conduct a survey,” he said. “As officials did not take the matter seriously, I wrote to the PM’s office and got a positive response. Now, the inter-state boundary marking process has restarted and I hope the wrongdoers are punished,” he added.