KORAPUT: The border dispute with Andhra Pradesh is not limited to 21 villages of Kotia as the neighbouring State conducted panchayat elections covering other places on February 13 while the Koraput district administration was oblivious to the transgression into Odisha territory.
Sources said Odisha’s Galigabdar village, which is under Nuagoan of Pottangi block, has been included in Sarika panchayat of AP’s Salur mandal. Many residents of Galigabdar exercised their franchise in the recently held rural polls in Sariki panchayat.
After being informed about AP’s illegal act, Pottangi tehsildar Haripad Mandal and IIC Bijay Majhi along with local revenue inspector (RI) rushed to Galigabdar on Tuesday to investigate the matter. However, villagers who participated in the panchayat elections were absent. Sources said fearing action from Odisha officials, they fled the village and are camping at Salur mandal of AP’s Vizianagaram district.
On being questioned by police, former sarpanch Sunil Khora admitted that many villagers participated in the rural polls and said AP had appointed two volunteers in Galigabdar for the elections. The villagers were shifted to Sariki panchayat, a day before the polls.
The IIC asked Khora to submit the names of villagers who participated in the polls. Galigabdar is a tourist destination and was included in the district tourism map recently. The administration has also pumped in lakhs of rupees for Galigabdar’s development.
A senior district officer in the know of things said apart from Galigabdar, residents of another village also participated in the AP panchayat polls. The AP administration encroached on Odisha villages and lured villagers with money to participate in the elections.
Convenor of ‘Ama Kotia Sangathan’ Gadadhar Parida condemned the AP administration act and criticised ignorance and laxity of Koraput district administration on the matter.