The Government of Andhra Pradesh is taking a series of steps to gain an upper hand in the villages forming part of the Kotia gram panchayat, the jurisdictional authority of which is being claimed by the Government of Odisha too.
The Kotia region issue had made headlines recently when Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the region and spoke against Andhra Pradesh, which evoked sharp reaction from the leaders of various political parties who pressed for maintaining status quo in tune with the Supreme Court order.
In this backdrop, the Government of Andhra Pradesh is planning to undertake developmental activities in the region such as construction of panchayat buildings, anganwadi centres, school buildings, police stations, and parks.
“A proposal worth ₹15 crore has been submitted to Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy for approval,” Parvatipuram-Manyam District Collector Nishant Kumar told The Hindu.
Deputy Chief Minister (Tribal Affairs) P. Rajanna Dora, who represents Saluru constituency (the Kotia villages are considered a part of it), has reportedly asked the officials concerned to monitor the situation in the villages.
Lok Satta Party State president B. Babji has urged the State government to mount pressure on the Union government to pass an Act in Parliament in favour of Andhra Pradesh as these villages have been with the State since its inception in 1956.
He has also urged the police to file a case against the Union Minister for “violating the Supreme Court order.”
The Odisha government had approached the Supreme Court with an eye on the rich minerals resources in the region. However, the court had directed that status quo be maintained as confirmation of boundaries should be done only by Parliament, he said.
“Till the issue is settled, Odisha leaders should refrain from making provocative statements,” said Mr. Babji.
Former MLC and TDP leader D. Jagadish alleged that the State government was dilly- dallying over the issue. The government should mount pressure on the Centre to get its jurisdictional right over the Kotia villages, he added.
