Bhubaneswar: The long-standing interstate border dispute over Kotia village in Koraput district on Andhra-Odisha border could be resolved through mutual discussions between the two states, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Chairman Mohammed Ahmed Shariff said here, Monday.
Shariff, who is also the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Committee on Development of Telugu Language and Culture, held a meeting with Odisha’s School and Mass Education (S&ME) Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and government officials on language-based education issue in bordering villages. Later, they also met
Assembly Speaker SN Patro on a courtesy call.
S&ME Minister Dash said he raised the border dispute issue with the panel members unofficially. “As the meeting was related to language only, I, at personal level, raised the issue and told them that it was not good to do so,” the minister said. He personally appealed to Andhra Pradesh government through the delegation to sort out the grave issue.
Besides, discussion was also held between two state governments on language-based education issue in bordering villages of Rayagada, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Ganjam and Koraput districts.
Around 80 lakh Telugu people are residing in these districts. Even as teacher training centre has been set up in these districts, language teachers could not be appointed due to some issues.
Similarly, there are many Odia people residing in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh. Around 4,000 children are studying in 120 schools in the neighbouring state where they face the same situation in schools. Sharriff assured the state government that their government will take care of Odia students in Andhra Pradesh.
