Pottangi: Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh continues to display its highhandedness and brazenness in Kotia panchayat of Koraput district despite stiff opposition as Andhra officials conducted parallel meetings at Fatusineri village in the panchayat despite the presence of Odisha officials, Thursday. Officials of both the states gave away assistance and benefits of various developmental schemes to the villagers. Koraput Zilla Parishad chairperson Sasmita Melka who was present on behalf of the district administration opposed such meetings organised by the officials of Andhra Pradesh government.
However, that failed to have any impact and deter the Andhra Pradesh officials. Officials of both the states organising parallel meetings at Fatusineri village in Kotia panchayat was witnessed Thursday evoking mixed reactions. Reports said that officials of Pottangi block organised a meeting to distribute old-age pensions, allowances, tri-cycles and crutches to the disabled and subsidised rice to the residents of Fatusineri village on the fringes of Andhra Pradesh. Tehsildar Devendra Bahadur Singh Dharua who is also the block development officer (BDO in-charge), assistant engineer Biswanath Madali, APO Soumendra Nayak, BSSO Sudhir Sahu, PEO Kanda Golari, revenue inspectors Duryodhan Nayak and Pratikshya Goud attended the meeting and gave away the assistance.
The officials gave away pension, bus pass, rice and other assistance to over 50 villagers of Fatusineri, Madkar, Harmandangi, Fagunsineri and Pankubalsa villages under Pottangi block. They also spoke elaborately on various developmental schemes floated by the state government and explained how these schemes are going to benefit them.
However, notwithstanding the presence of Odisha officials, the officials of Salur block of Parvatipuram Manyam district in Andhra Pradesh reached the village and organised a meeting inside a church in the village. There they explained the benefits of Jagan Anna Surakhya Yojana floated by the Andhra Pradesh government and gave away certificates of welfare schemes to over 233 villagers. Meanwhile, Koraput ZP chairperson Melka, Pottangi zone-2 ZP member Laichan Khara and some BJD workers detained the Andhra Pradesh project officer of ITDA C Vishnu Charan and questioned him on organising programme of Andhra Pradesh government on Odisha soil. They questioned the Andhra Pradesh officials on their incursion into Fatusineri village and gave away ‘Andhra go back’ slogans. However, organising a programme in Kotia panchayat without inviting the zone-1 ZP member Tikai Gemel has sparked resentment.
