ADILABAD: After 45 years of being a political football kicked between Telangana and Maharashtra, the residents of 14 villages caught in the border dispute have come to a strikingly simple conclusion: they do not care which state claims them as long as they get land pattas.
The decades-old tug-of-war over villages such as Paramdoli, Mukadamguda and Bholapathar may have a long legal and political history, but locals now seem more interested in securing land rights than preserving state pride. The recent announcement by the Maharashtra government that pattas will soon be issued for 2,300 hectares has breathed new life into villagers’ long-dormant hopes. However, a hint of weary scepticism remains.
“We are happy to be in whichever state gives us pattas,” said Devidas Kamble, his voice cautious over the prospects after nearly half a century of bureaucratic silence. “If Maharashtra gives them, great. If Telangana does, also fine. But let’s not delay another 45 years.”
Ramdas Ranveer, a resident of Bholapathar and a veteran of this cause since the late 1970s, recalled how the village was once declared part of Maharashtra by the Supreme Court back in 1997. That ruling, however, has not translated into tangible benefits for the people on the ground. “I’ve been fighting for land pattas since 1978. We now hear they’ll finally be given. I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said.
For those new to this rural saga, here’s a brief recap: The 14 villages, all Marathi-speaking, were part of Maharashtra as per the 1956 linguistic reorganisation. Then came the Andhra Pradesh government in 1978, waving a committee report that drew a different border. Legal battles followed, culminating in the 1997 Supreme Court ruling in Maharashtra’s favour. Andhra Pradesh quietly withdrew its case, but carried on issuing ration cards, Aadhaar IDs and other benefits.
The result: villagers exist in a kind of dual-state limbo. One government builds a road, another supplies drinking water. One promises welfare schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and Kalyana Lakshmi, the other issues voter cards and offers houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. But land pattas, the essential key to accessing many of these schemes, remain missing.
“People keep talking about nationalism, but our problem is very local,” said Parmeshwar Suryavamshi. “No patta, no benefits. That’s the real border.”
He noted that the SC community, in particular, continues to be excluded due to the absence of documentation. Even applications for schemes like Telangana’s Indiramma Housing have hit a digital wall — they are unable to register with their Aadhaar details.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule recently reaffirmed the state’s claim over the villages, citing revenue records and announcing that all voters from these areas would vote in Maharashtra elections. “There is no confusion,” he declared confidently. Villagers though might beg to differ.
With both governments now promising pattas (again), the villagers remain cautiously hopeful. “We’ve lived through committee reports, court rulings, cancelled NOCs, and political visits,” one villager said.
The 14 villages
Paramdoli
Paramdoli Tanda
Kotha
Lendiguda
Mukadamguda
Lengijala
Maharajguda
Anthapur
Indiranagar
Shankarlodhi
Padmavati
Bholapathar
Yesapur
Parsaguda