Pottangi: After a brief lull, the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons, sources said Monday here. In the past, the Andhra government has tried to lure residents of Kotia panchayat by offering them various welfare schemes so that Odia villages can be brought under its administration. Now, however, the problem is of a bigger nature. This time, the neighbouring state has encroached on land belonging to Odisha as it plans to construct an irrigation project. The project is meant to help people and provide water for farmlands in Andhra Pradesh lying close to the Odisha border.
To achieve its goal, the Andhra government is trying to grab land belonging to the Revenue and Forest departments of the Odisha government, locals alleged. This particular plot of land is near a river in Mungargumi village under Sunki panchayat of Pottangi block in Koraput district. The matter came to the fore after Andhra government officials were seen measuring land on the Odisha side recently. Locals, however, pointed out that they are surprised that the Pottangi block and district administration officials are unaware of this development.
Locals stated that villagers of Itawalsa, Kopamaudi, Gandhawalsa, Walagaon, Madigundalam, Mungargumi, Sangamgude, Totalpadu, Dengrigarunggude under Sunki panchayat, as well as Batiwalsa, Chitampadu, Tangini in Ralegada panchayat and 14 villages of Madawalsa panchayat, are fully dependent on the river. They earn their livelihood from cultivation by using the water from the river for their farmlands. These local people, the majority of who live in Mungargumi village, are now a worried lot as they feel that if the Andhra government constructs an irrigation project, water supply to them will be disrupted and it will severely affect their livelihood.
Such is the brazen attitude of the Andhra officials that they visited Mungargumi village September 26 and identified the land for the irrigation project. They also carried out measurement and other survey work even though the land falls in Odisha’s territory. This recent development has sparked fear among the residents of the village.
Locals pointed out that the offices of the revenue inspector and the Forest department are located in Sunki panchayat. They questioned how officials of Andhra government encroached on to Odisha’s land and carried out project work under the very nose of these offices. Meanwhile Pottangi tehsildar Debendra Bahadur Singh Dharua said that three Andhra government officials were detained Monday when they visited the same plot of land. They were taken to the Pottangi police station and released later in the day after questioning.
