BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Thursday demanded that the state government constitute a special development board for Kotia and announce a special package for the all-round development of the border region.
Addressing mediapersons here, Das said the welfare measures launched by the state government were not enough to win over the people of Kotia. “A separate board should be set up and special initiatives launched to thwart the designs of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
Das had visited Kotia on Monday along with Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka and other senior party leaders. Pointing to a disparity in old-age pension amounts, Das claimed that beneficiaries in Odisha get `1,000 per month, while those under a similar scheme in Andhra Pradesh receive `4,000.
The Congress leader said the issue underlined the need for a comparative review of the welfare schemes, eligibility criteria and financial assistance of the two states to ensure a proper social security system for eligible beneficiaries in Kotia. A special development board would look into these aspects, he added.
Das also said that during their visit to Upara Sembi village, the team found an Andhra Pradesh-run checkpost operational. According to locals, Andhra Pradesh police personnel have been stationed there in plainclothes for the past four months, he claimed.
Subsequently, the party received information that Odisha had also made a checkpost functional in the area. The development raised serious questions about the state’s administrative presence and security arrangements, he said.