Malkangiri: Amid the ongoing standoff between Odisha and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh over Kotia village in Koraput district, another border village named Jumadanga in the Swabhiman Anchal in Malkangiri district, has suffered the apathy of Odisha as well as the local administration, a report said.
According to reports, setting its sight on Jumadanga village the Andhra Pradesh has provided basic amenities like road connectivity, electricity supply, drinking water, elementary education, healthcare, voter identity cards, Aadhaar cards, ration cards and Anganwadi centres to the villagers.
Jumadanga was taken out from Ralegada panchayat under Chitrakonda block and placed under Dhuliput panchayat a few years back. Although, the decision was taken at the government level, the block administration has allegedly remained apathetic to the villagers.
However, the Andhra Pradesh government has provided all basic facilities to over 20 families of the village, who earlier possessed voter identity cards and Aadhaar cards issued by Odisha.
Earlier the village had only one Anganwadi centre, which has already closed down. The block administration could not provide a primary school to the village.
As the Andhra Pradesh government has opened up a primary school in the area, children are compelled to learn Telugu instead of Odia, villagers lamented. Children here are taught in Telugu vernacular medium, they alleged.
In such a situation, the panchayat representative and leaders from local bodies are yet to visit this village. Even the block and district officials allegedly never visit the village.
Chitrakonda block development officer Lariman Kharsel said, “If this has happened in reality, immediately I will visit the village to investigate and take necessary steps accordingly.”
PNN