Nandapur/Padua: Residents of Ghatiguda village under Khinbar panchayat in Nandapur block of Koraput district have alleged that authorities from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh are carrying out plantation of shade trees for coffee cultivation on an Odisha hill after claiming it as their own territory.
Villagers further alleged that Andhra officials threatened them when they objected to the plantation work on the hill near Ghatiguda village.
In this connection, Khinbar sarpanch Bhima Khil, president of Shaheed Laxman Nayak Adivasi Manch Bhagaban Petia, and villagers including Simadri Gemel, Biswanath Gemel and Trinath Kharan submitted a memorandum to Nandapur tehsildar Debabrata Moharana and forester Gopinath Pangi, seeking protection of the Odisha hill land after a proper inquiry.
The villagers urged the administration to investigate the matter and safeguard the hill land belonging to Odisha.
Tehsildar Moharana and forester Pangi assured the villagers that officials from the revenue and forest departments would visit the spot, conduct an inquiry and identify the boundary.
They also said that if plantation work is found to have been carried out by Andhra authorities after encroaching into Odisha territory, the matter would be brought to the notice of the district administration and steps would be taken to prevent further intrusion.