JEYPORE: The team of revenue officials, conducting survey to ascertain the border between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh near Sunabeda village in Pottangi, has found the original signs placed in the area to demarcate the boundary not to have been manipulated as claimed. The team measured the 10 km long boundary between the two states which spreads over five hills. It detected the original stones with O and M (O for Odisha and M for Madras Presidency) marks engraved on it on a hill.
Later, the team measured the border by taking into consideration all original symbols put up during the settlement survey conducted by Madras Presidency in 1955. It found that all boundary marks were intact. However, the team found that a few farmers from Andhra Pradesh have been cultivating land in Odisha side of the border inadvertently.
The same is being done by farmers from Odisha. The revenue team, which reported the findings of its survey to the Collector of Koraput for further action, suggested land encroachers from both states to stick to their sides of the border. Official sources said a joint survey will soon be conducted by revenue officials from Odisha and their counterparts from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
“The original symbols on the border, put up during the settlement survey conducted in 1955, were found intact and the team found no manipulation,” said Pottangi tehsildar HP Mandal. The team of revenue officials from Koraput started the survey to demarcate the border between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. They were joined by a special land settlement team from the Berhampur Settlement office.
The border row between the two states has been raging for over a month now after a signboard was pushed 500 metre into Odisha side. Even as the team comprising three revenue officials started the survey to re-verify the border, the actual boundary between the two states as earmarked in 1955 could not be located. In order to earmark the boundary, the Koraput administration had urged the RDC (Southern Division) to send a team of revenue officials. The team along with revenue officials from Jeypore, Koraput and Pottangi, had started the survey