If you get to listen to the numerous complaints of the voters of Parandoli and Anthapur gram panchayats (GP) on the state of development in their villages, you will certainly think that they are talking of some habitations belonging to the dark ages. A dozen GPs in Kerameri mandal of Asifabad (ST) Assembly segment of Adilabad (ST) Lok Sabha seat have faced utter neglect from the authorities and the irony is that the area is administered not just by Andhra Pradesh but by neighbouring Maharashtra too.
The villages of Parandoli, Mukadamguda, Maharajgunj, Kota, Shankarloddi, Lendijala in Parandoli GP and Anthapur, Yesapur, Indiranagar, Bolapathar, Lendiguda and Gowri, located in an area of 80 sq km on AP-Maharashtra border, are embroiled in a territorial dispute between the neighbouring States. The dream of the voters here, 2,765 now, of receiving double the welfare benefits turned out to be an irksome reality as they remained neglected by both States.
In the absence of timely medical aid, 10 children from Kota village had died of dysentery last year. The villages have no roads, no drinking water, no supervision of schools set up by both the government, unpaid bills of Indiramma houses, no pattas to lands being tilled by them and above all no identity.
“I am not eligible for Andhra Pradesh government job as I did my schooling in Maharashtra. I was forced to attend Marathi school as teachers of Telugu schools always stay away,” laments auto driver Venkati Appaji Ingle of Kota village on the question of identity.
“The AP government has constructed safe drinking water tanks which have no source of water to be connected to. Drinking water shortage is a perennial problem as no government has addressed it so far,” points out Kamble Laxman the first sarpanch of Parandoli.
“The 108 ambulances do not visit our villages as there is no motorable road connecting us with Kerameri mandal headquarter,” says Devji Munna Ade, Parandoli sarpanch representing Maharashtra who ironically draws his crop loan from Deccan Grameena Bank at Kerameri. “What we need most is pattas to our lands so that most of us become eligible for crop loans,” he pleads with the two governments.
