JEYPORE: Dust over Odisha’s dispute with Andhra Pradesh over ownership of Kotia villages refuses to settle with both the states trying to outdo each by wooing villagers with development promises. Even as Odisha Government is constructing a police station in Kotia panchayat under Pottangi block of Koraput district, the Andhra Government has started preliminary work on opening a police station near Sembi village under the panchayat.
The neighbouring State has recently completed demarcation of land for setting up the police station. And if sources are to be believed, work on the police station will begin soon.The Odisha Government began construction of the police station three months back and work is scheduled to be completed by May next year.
It has set up a police camp in Kotia where police officers are looking after the ongoing development works including construction of the police station. Four days back an Assembly Committee headed by Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro decided to ask the State Government to expedite work on the police station in Kotia. “People of the villages are now depending on Andhra Pradesh police station and we will request the Home department to set up a police station at the earliest,” the Speaker said.
The State had announced a special package for development of 21 villages under the disputed Kotia panchayat located on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The development plans include opening of a hospital, RI office, police station and high schools. Few years back, police outposts were set up by both the governments in the panchayat to maintain law and order but these were closed down due to rising Maoist menace. In the last two years, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Governments are implementing various schemes and providing goodies to people of the disputed panchayat to claim their ownership over the area. Currently, while the AP is implementing its flagship Janmabhoomi programme, Odisha is countering it with KALIA scheme.