Malkangiri: Close on the heels of Andhra Pradesh’s desperate bid to grab land in Kotia panchayat of Koraput district, now another neighbouring state Chhattisgarh is making similar efforts to encroach land in Malkangiri district, a report said.
These bordering states have cast their evil eyes on the fringe areas of Odisha bordering their state and are making all out efforts to grab land there, the report said. Currently, neighbouring Chhatishgarh has cast its evil eyes on the fringe areas of Malkangiri district.
The Chhattisgarh government is alleged to have taken possession of Akarpali village under Matapaka panchayat of Sadar block and constructed a road in the village.
However, it is surprising that the district administration is still unaware of the development.
Reports said that Akarpali, a revenue village in Malkangiri, is situated on beside Titibiri-Matapaka main road and is at a distance of just 1 km from the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
The Mangipali-Darba village in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh is just 1 km away from Akarpali and is the borderline between the two states. The border between the two states here is demarcated by constructing stone pillars at the site between Akarpali and Mangipali-Darba villages.
Although the stone pillars still remain, the entire area has taken the form of a jungle as neither the authorities from Odisha nor Chhatishgarh have taken care to clear the area of the unwanted vegetation that has grown over the years.
Rama Kurami, 90, a villager of Mangipali-Darba village in Chhattisgarh, said he has been seeing the pillars since his childhood which have been serving as the borderline between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
He confirmed that the local administration has trespassed into Odisha and constructed a road that leads to Akarpali village in Malkangiri district. The area where the road has been constructed is within Odisha border, while the forest land of Akarpali village also lies in the same area.
Binayak Madkami, sarpanch of Matapaka panchayat, Akarpali village head Dula Madkami, ward member Aita Padiami and villagers Adma Kartami and Irma Madkami said that the roads in Akarpali village are in bad shape and the villagers there depend on the Sukma market for their daily provisions as well as sale of forest produce since it is closer to their village.
They admitted that the area where Chhattisgarh has constructed the road is in Akarpali village of Odisha. They also claimed that the forest, forest lands and their recorded lands all are located close to the area where Chhattisgarh has constructed the road.
Locals alleged that this has happened as the revenue officials of both the states have failed in their duty to repair the pillars once every two years by clearing the vegetation overgrowth.
Taking advantage of such inactivity of the Malkangiri revenue officials, Chhattisgarh government has constructed a road that leads to Akarpali village. The villagers further alleged that the neighbouring state has constructed the road to loot minerals and forest produce available in the area.
When contacted, Gunanidhi Nayak, Malkangiri tehsildar, said no villager has informed him about the development. He said he would soon visit the spot and take stock of the situation.
Ajay Kumar Pradhan, BDO, Malkangiri, said he had visited the spot last week after being apprised of the development. Pradhan added that will submit a report to the project director of DRDA for action at his end. Subsequently, the revenue officials will visit the spot and demarcate the border and take necessary steps, he added.