Koraput: The Odisha government has deployed police and erected barricades at disputed Kotia gram panchayat after the Andhra Pradesh administration attempted to launch several schemes in the area claimed by both states.
Andhra Pradesh said that Odisha’s action was in clear violation of the Supreme Court directive to both sides to maintain the status quo and said that the matter would be brought to the notice of the apex court.
Odisha’s Koraput district administration said that Andhra Pradesh’s Salur MLA Peedika Ranjan Dora had issued a press release stating that 500 people from the southern state would enter Kotia to implement several programmes including laying the foundation for a few government buildings, distributing land pattas (documents) and launching a plantation drive.
“These measures could have led to unrest in the area as MLAs of Koraput district were opposing those. So, the administration erected barricades and deployed adequate forces along the inter-state boundary on Monday to prevent the entry of officials and politicians from Andhra Pradesh,” Koraput Additional District Magistrate Deben Kumar Pradhan said.
“As many as 11 officials with magistrate powers have been deployed in the area and the development is being closely monitored. Presently, the situation remains peaceful even as officials from Andhra Pradesh tried to enter Kotia,” he said.
Politicians including MLAs cutting across party lines had gathered in the area Monday to prevent officials from Andhra Pradesh from entering Kotia.
The Odisha government also erected signages in Odia in 21 villages under the jurisdiction of the panchayat.
When contacted, the Salur MLA said that Andhra Pradesh wanted to implement ‘Vidya Kanuka’ (distribution of student kits) programme as schools in the area reopened on Monday, besides undertaking a plantation drive and initiating the construction of village secretariat buildings.
“Odisha’s action is in clear violation of the Supreme Court directive to maintain the status quo. I have taken up the issue with Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das and Vizianagaram district Collector Surya Kumari and requested them to bring the matter to the notice of the apex court,” the Andhra Pradesh legislator said.
The dispute over the ownership of 21 of the 28 villages under Kotia panchayat had first reached the Supreme Court in 1968. In 2006, the apex court held that inter-state boundaries did not fall within its jurisdiction and only the Parliament could resolve them. The court imposed a permanent injunction on the disputed area.
PTI