Odisha, Andhra in fresh face-off over disputed border village

It was in Phatusineri village under Kotia Gram Panchayat where the AP government in February this year had conducted panchayat polls despite Odisha and Andhra being locked in a legal battle over territorial control of the area since early 1960s.

Published on: Aug 16, 2021, 22:16:26 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The ongoing border dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha over the contentious Kotia Gram Panchayat in Koraput district resulted in a fresh conflict on Monday, after the local administration foiled an attempt by Andhra Pradesh MLAs to host a series of political events in a village under the panchayat.

BJP leader Jayram Pangi who helped the police and district administration to keep the intruders away said, Kotia is an integral part of Odisha. (HT FILE PHOTO.)

Officials in Koraput said MLA of Salur assembly constituency Rajan Dora was due to host several political and cultural events at Phatusineri village under Kotia Gram Panchayat on Monday. The Project Director of Integrated Tribal Development Agency at Parvatipuram was supposed to join the programme.

But before the MLA could start his programme, local politicians as well district administration and police personnel were deployed at the spot. The political leaders led by former Koraput MP Jayram Pangi as well as Congress leader Taraprasad Bahinipati and BJD MLA Pritam Padhi opposed the events.

BJP leader Jayram Pangi who helped the police and district administration to keep the intruders away said, Kotia is an integral part of Odisha. “I want to send a strong warning to the Andhra Pradesh government that they will never be successful in taking over Kotia panchayat,” he said. It is an integral part of Odisha and nobody can deny it.”

Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said all the political parties in Koraput are supporting the state government burying their political differences. “We are one for the cause of our motherland. We have decided that all MLAs will donate ₹1 lakh for the development of the panchayat,” he said. Bahinipati also who joined BJD and BJP leaders in sloganeering against Andhra Pradesh.

Koraput district collector Abdaal M Akhtar said the district administration received information that some political people from Andhra Pradesh are trying to organise cultural programmes at Kotia.

“We deployed police personnel at the spot to ward off any potential law and order situation. We are in touch with the Vizianagaram district administration. Since the issue concerning Kotia is already sub-judice, we asked them to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner. Any unilateral action on the ground will never be acceptable for Odisha,” he said.

It was in Phatusineri village under Kotia Gram Panchayat where the AP government in February this year had conducted panchayat polls despite Odisha and Andhra being locked in a legal battle over territorial control of the area since early 60s. The Kotia Gram Panchayat has 28 revenue villages; Odisha mistakenly did not survey 21 villages during its formation in 1936. At the time of creation of Andhra Pradesh in the year 1955, those 21 villages were also not surveyed by Andhra resulting in perpetual dispute over these bordering villages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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