Pottangi: The dispute over territorial rights on Kotia panchayat of Koraput district between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments has refused to abate with the latter allegedly refusing to budge from the area.
On the contrary, the Andhra Pradesh authorities are keeping a close watch on every move taking place in the area, a report said.
The dispute over the territorial rights on Kotia panchayat in Koraput district is now sub-judice in Supreme Court.
Odisha government has approached the Supreme Court, but even before the apex court could pronounce its judgement, concerned administrations of both the states are implementing parallel developmental projects in the area.
The matter came to fore after Salur MLA Rajanna Dora and Babli MLA Shyambangi, both in Andhra Pradesh, met Viziangaram district Collector Hari Jawaharlal Nehru of Vizianagaram, Thursday, and discussed about the developmental projects implemented by their state in Kotia panchayat.
During the meeting they discussed how more and more developmental projects could be implemented in Kotia panchayat to benefit the residents.
The two MLAs also questioned about the probe into the construction of Patitapaban (Jagannath) temple at Neredibalsa village in Kotia panchayat.
A couple of days ago, Andhra officials visited Neredibalsa village and discussed about the developmental projects with the villagers being implemented in the area by the neighbouring state.
The officials, including Kormanath, PO ITDA of Parabatipuram in Vijayanagaram district, Parbati, BDO of Salur block, DSP Subhash and Iram Naidu, the CI of Kotia panchayat appointed by the neighbouring state were accompanied by a team of police officials during their visit.
They sought to know from the villagers about the developmental projects being implemented by Odisha government and directed the Salur BDO and other officials to expedite various developmental works being implemented by the Andhra government.
The officials had visited Uparsembi village and held a meeting with the villagers on church premises. There they discussed about various developmental plans with the villagers being implemented by the Andhra government, apart from preparing an action plan on the projects.
The villagers drew the attention of the officials to the need for higher education of their children and urged them to make available drinking water, roads, pension, healthcare and houses under state and Centre-sponsored schemes in the area.
PNN
