VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will meet his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on November 9 to discuss various pending issues between the two neighbouring States. During the meeting scheduled to be held from 5 pm to 7 pm at the residence of Naveen Patnaik, the two Chief Ministers are expected to discuss the issues related to construction of Neradi barrage across river Vamsadhara, Polavaram irrigation project and Kotia villages on the border.
The Vamsadhara Water Disputes Tribunal had permitted Andhra Pradesh to go ahead with the construction of Neradi barrage. The AP government agreed to pay compensation for the submerged lands and rehabilitation of the displaced people in Odisha, but the Odisha government is yet to respond to the proposal. The project is expected to submerge over 106 acres of land in Rayagada and Gajapati districts of Odisha. Sources said Jagan will take up the issue with Naveen to end the impasse.
Similarly, the long-pending Polavaram project submergence issue would also be discussed to find a possible resolution, though the matter is now locked in a legal battle, the sources said. The Kotiya villages issue has also been simmering for long and pending in the Supreme Court. Tensions escalated in recent times when officials from Andhra Pradesh were prevented from entering the villages in Vizianagaram district bordering Odisha. The attempts of medical and health officials to administer vaccines to the people in the disputed villages were thwarted by the Odisha police and revenue officials. The Odisha police even put up barricades along the villages to prevent people’s movements from Andhra Pradesh.
The Odisha administration recently stepped up countering the development activities of Andhra Pradesh after people of the Kotiya villages met the Vizianagaram district Collector and Superintendent of Police and gave written submissions that they would continue to be a part of Andhra. The two Chief Ministers are expected to discuss the long-pending issue to find a possible resolution.