BERHAMPUR: Emboldened by its success in conducting panchayat polls in Odisha villages, the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government has started constructing roads in Gajapati district.
The neighbouring State started construction work of a concrete road from Singipur FCI godown in Kashinagar block to Alati in Srikakulam district on Friday.
A team of officials comprising Kashinagar tehsildar Shanti Swarup Mishra and IIC Sushant Sahu reached the spot on Saturday but labourers engaged by AP for construction of the road had fled by then. The team seized construction material and machinery from the spot.
The district administration does not wish the issue to escalate, said Paralakhemundi Sub-Collector Sangram Panda. He said demarcation stones including signage in Odia will soon be erected near the disputed villages.
On Tuesday, the district administration had forced officials of the neighbouring state to retreat from Madhiakhala village.
The AP officials had reportedly sneaked into Odisha for demarcation of the border. Following a clash between supporters of Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress in Manikpatana on Sunday last, a team of Gajapati police reached the village and brought the situation under control.
When the police were moving in bordering areas, they got information on presence of AP officials in a village for border demarcation. As police reached the spot, AP officials pleaded that they had entered Odisha by mistake. After being reprimanded, the AP team left immediately.
Man held for marrying minor
A 29-year-old man of Tajpur village within Panikoili police limits was arrested for marrying a minor girl on Saturday. Narasingha Munda had married the 13-year-old girl of Telia Goleipur village a few days back. Police said, the girl was staying with her elder brother Budun Munda after the death of their parents last year.
On Tuesday, when Budun, a daily wage worker returned home, he could not find his sister. He filed a missing persons complaint with Panikoili police station the next day.
Basing on the complaint, police registered a case and started a probe. Acting on a tip-off, a police team arrested Narasingha from his house in Tajpur and rescued the minor.
"During interrogation, the accused claimed he had married the minor as per tribal tradition,” said investigating officer Kailash Chandra Bhoi.