BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has border disputes with four neighbouring states over 96 villages. The villages are spread of 10 districts of the state.
Revenue and disaster management minister Maheswar Mohanty informed this in a written reply to a question in the assembly today from Dilip Ray (BJP). The minister said that the Odisha government has approached in two cases over its dispute with Andhra Pradesh. While the state has lost in one case, in the other case the court has asked the two states maintain status quo.
The minister said that the Supreme Court has dismissed the case filed by Odisha government in 1968 against Andhra Pradesh over Bormutha and 12 hamlets. In the case filed by the state government in 1968 against Andhra Pradesh over 21 Kotia group of villages, the Supreme Court has asked both states to maintain status quo till the matter is disposed of. The apex court in 2006 asked both the states to maintain status quo till the matter is resolved by competent authority, he said.
Stating that officials from Andhra Pradesh are entering Kotia villages despite the Supreme Court order, the minister said the state government has reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting. The state government has decided to initiate steps for development of education and health infrastructure, construct roads, provision of electricity and drinking water and open police station.
Besides, a decision has also been taken to distribute the Aadhar cards among villagers in camps. Other development work on the cards include construction of BSNL tower and the introduction of bus services from the villages to block and district headquarters, he said.
Besides, the Odisha government has disputes with Andhra Pradesh over 21 villages in Ganjam district, 16 villages in Gajapati district and five villages in Rayagada. The minister said Odisha has dispute with West Bengal over six villages in Balasore and eight villages in Mayurbhanj district. Odisha and Jharkhand have dispute over two villages in Mayurbhanj, five villages in Keonjhar and six villages in Sundargarh.
The minister said Odisha has dispute with Chhattisgarh over four villages in Nabarangpur district and one in Jharsuguda district. Besides, Odisha also has disputes over rivers and forests with neighbouring states.