Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to convene an all-party meeting to discuss and find a solution to border issues with Andhra Pradesh, saying administrative outreach by the neighbouring state is reported in some Odisha villages.
In a letter to Naveen, the Union Education Minister sought his intervention in addressing the emerging issues in the border villages in south Odisha, namely Kotia area in Pottangi block in Koraput district and Manikapatna in Gangabada gram panchayat of Gajapati district.
Dharmendra, who hails from Odisha, also drew the Chief Minister’s attention to his earlier attempts in 2020 and 2021 for arriving at a harmonious resolution to border issues between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Noting that administrative outreach by Andhra Pradesh government in these villages has been reported in the past few days, he said this illegitimate and unfortunate outreach is now not only confined to Kotia but is also gradually spreading to other villages in south Odisha.
“Reportedly, 21 such villages have been included in the newly carved Parvatipuram Manyam district, with changed nomenclature, with its headquarters just 40 km away from various villages of Kotia,” Dharmendra said.
He said Andhra Pradesh is proactively implementing different schemes and developmental activities in these villages luring these residents to be its part.
“It requires the government of Odisha to be proactive on the ground, thereby bringing the government and administration closer to the residents of these border villages. Being far away from the district headquarter, people may find the Andhra Pradesh administration more accessible,” the Union Minister said.
“The neighbouring state may use the same to alienate these citizens from Odisha, and thereby sever their age-old socio-cultural umbilical cord with their motherland. Andhra Pradesh is strategically trying to sway these border villagers by offering ration cards, healthcare, education and other facilities,” he said.
Keeping this in mind, Odisha should take the local population and organisation into confidence and address multiple developmental issues by ensuring people staying in bordering villages are not lured by Andhra Pradesh facilities and, expediting the swift implementation of developmental activities of the Odisha government, he said in the letter copy of which was released to media on Friday.
“I want to highlight the fact that such administrative face-offs and disputes will not only create a disharmonious environment for the people of these areas but also hinder the development of these villages. It will derail the ongoing development process which goes against the sociopolitical objectives of both States, and sow seeds for anti-establishment sentiments to take root in this region,” said Pradhan.
“Despite my best attempt over the years, these issues have remained the same as earlier. Irrespective of party lines, all political parties agree unanimously on the development and protection of Odia interests in these border villages,” he said.
Keeping in mind the welfare of the residents of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh border villages in the districts of Koraput and Gajapati, he sought Naveen’s intervention for the harmonious and peaceful resolution of the said issues.
“Therefore, I request you to convene an all-party meeting over these issues and review the progress made by the inter-state committee and briefing on developmental activities taken up in border villages,” the BJP leader added.
