Kotia: No end to 65-yr-old Odisha-AP dispute

In a dispute that has been simmering for 65 long years, the Kotia group of villages on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border is claimed by both States. The area of contention consists of 21 villages.

The latest spark was added to the dispute in January this year when the Chandrababu Naidu Government in Andhra Pradesh started distributing freebies in the villages and also issued Aadhaar cards to some of them. Now, it has started road construction in the area despite strong opposition by Odisha’s Naveen Patnaik Government.

Odisha Revenue Minister Maheswar Mohanty has said the Andhra Pradesh Government has no right to these villages as the Odisha Government has been exercising political, legislative, administrative and other powers in the area. Andhra is interfering in these villages only by trespassing into the Odisha territory and luring the locals.

Andhra’s Vizianagaram district Collector Vivek Yadav has said he visited the villages in January this year with other officials, but the visit was not meant to raise any controversy or whip up sentiments.

He is also reported to have said that the villagers complained about lack of basic amenities and requested Andhra officials to arrange for laying roads in the area. The matter has been brought to the notice of the Andhra Government, whose instructions are awaited.

The Andhra officials have defended their visit to the villages, saying they needed no permission for this.

Interestingly, the villagers have two ration cards and two job cards and are enrolled under different welfare schemes of both the State Governments. But they are still lagging behind in all development parameters. There are no teachers in many schools; and the villagers are not receiving any benefits, according to Andhra officials.

Notably, the Odisha-Andhra border dispute has begun soon after the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1953. Both States had moved the Supreme Court in 1968 claiming sovereignty over the villages. In 2006, the apex court, stating that adjudication of border disputes between States was not within its jurisdiction, held the view that only Parliament can resolve the matters. It directed Odisha and Andhra to maintain status quo on their issue.

The Odisha Government maintains that the Kotia group of villages form part of the Koraput Parliamentary constituency and the Potangi Assembly segment and general elections are being successfully conducted in the area. There are 2,448 voters, all of whom have been provided EPIC (election photo identity cards) by the Koraput Sub-Collector. Besides, the Odisha Government has been conducting the general census in the area since 1951.

The Odisha Government also argues that after the formation of the Province of Orissa in 1936, the State Government exercised its jurisdiction over the area since there was no dispute with the erstwhile Madras Presidency on the issue.

But Andhra’s argument is that the dispute began after Independence in 1947 when the position of the Governor-General became obsolete and Parliament became the country’s supreme lawmaking body.

Potangi BJD MLA Prafulla Kumar Pangi claimed that the Odisha Government is providing all possible facilities to the villages, but Andhra is intruding into the Odisha border and illegally distributing freebies to the villagers.

However, BJP leader and former Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi slammed the Odisha Government for not implementing developmental programmes in the area, thereby making it easy for Andhra to “lure the tribals” by offering freebies.