Pottangi: There is no let-up in intrusion by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in the disputed Kotia Panchayat of Koraput district as government officials from Andhra Pradesh were seen conducting an e-KYC drive Saturday at Neredibalsa, a border village under Kotia Panchayat of Pottangi block in Koraput district.
The incident raises concerns over repeated intrusions by Andhra officials, who allegedly mislead and lure villagers towards the neighbouring state with forced implementation of various welfare schemes. Despite these ongoing activities, the Pottangi block administration appears to be unaware of Andhra’s interventions.
According to sources, Andhra officials have been enrolling elderly villagers, Anganwadi children, and students under Aadhaar-based verification processes while offering financial aid through state-sponsored programs such as old-age pensions and Ammawadi Yojana (a scheme benefiting students).
In the past, women in Kotia’s border villages were reportedly deprived of benefits under Odisha’s Subhadra Yojana due to similar KYC-related issues.
With Andhra officials now conducting fresh KYC registrations, the matter has become a growing concern for the local administration. Kotia Sarpanch Liu Gemel has alleged that Andhra Pradesh is luring residents of border villages with the promise of implementing various government welfare schemes.
According to Gemel, Andhra has been actively pursuing the implementation of these schemes, while the Koraput district administration and Pottangi block administration are clueless and sitting pretty instead of paying closer attention to these developments. He criticised the local administration’s negligence, which he claims has enabled Andhra’s repeated incursions into the area.
When contacted, Pottangi Block Development Officer (BDO) Ramakrishna Nayak confirmed the development, stating that Andhra is primarily conducting Aadhaar verification. He added that Odisha authorities also plan to conduct e-KYC verification soon.
Additionally, steps are being taken to include 618 women who were previously excluded from the Subhadra scheme, ensuring they receive its benefits.
PNN
