VIZIANAGARAM/KORAPUT: In the midst of an intensifying dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over control of Kotia villages, scores of people from nearly 17 villages under three panchayats of the region on Monday met the Vizianagaram district officials and expressed their desire to live under the neighbouring state.
A delegation of the people from the disputed villages went to the district headquarters and submitted a resolution to Vizianagaram Collector A Suryakumari while meeting the Superintendent of Police Deepika M Patil to seek protection from Odisha government and also against the alleged harassment by local politicians. It is learnt that recently, the tribals of these villages held a special meeting and passed a resolution to live under AP.
Collector Suryakumari gave a traditional welcome to the tribals and assured to put the issue in government’s notice and give protection as per the Supreme Court verdict. Later on, SP Deepika Patil assured the villagers on giving protection. She also distributed grocery kits to them.
Speaking to TNIE, Deepika said, “We will stand in support of the tribals as per Supreme Court verdict. We have appointed a special circle inspector for Kotia region for protecting the tribals. We have sent the proposal to our higher officials on deploying armed forces in the disputed region. Though Odisha government have also deployed police force, we are maintaining restraint so as to not create war like situation there.’’
Chodapalli Bishu, a villager from Paguluchennuru in the disupted area, said, “We are Andhra people. We are happy with the welfare schemes and Navaratnalu of AP government. Therefore, we have passed resolution to be with Andhra Pradesh.” He alleged that Odisha police were coercing villagers to stay with the State and registering falses cases against them.
The move came at a time when Odisha administration has started removing the boards indicating the names of the disputed villages in Telugu put up by the AP government. Officials had prevented a team of medical and health officials and village secretariat staff from Andhra to enter a village in Kotia region to administer Covid vaccine to locals on Saturday. On Sunday, the Odisha police and revenue officials removed the name boards of the villages arranged by AP.
On the other hand, Koraput Collector Abdaal Md Akhtar said that he was aware that both elected sarpanches and defeated candidates in the polls held by AP in April this year had submitted a memorandum to Vizianagaram Collector on remaining with the neighbouring state.
“Since the representatives are elected by AP government it is obvious of them to talk in its favour. Koraput district administration is not at all bothered by such acts,” he said. Terming AP’s claim over Kotia as baseless, he said, “Andhra Pradesh government conducted panchayat elections for three gram panchayat in this area, but its administration does not even have a GP office building there. There is not even a health centre run by the AP government.”
The Collector said, the Odisha government has pumped hundreds of crores for infrastructure development in Kotia group of villages. “The people are well aware of the role of Odisha government in providing better infrastructure, facilities to them along with implementing numerous welfare schemes. Moreover, the district administration is abiding by the directions of Supreme Court on maintaining status quo in the region,” he said.