Border dispute between Andhra and Odisha

Ground Report | New Delhi: Border dispute between Andhra and Odisha; The issue of the Assam-Mizoram border dispute was not over yet as the issue of an ongoing dispute between the state of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over 21 villages of Kotiya Gram Panchayat of Kotiya Gram Panchayat of Kotiya Gram Panchayat in Odisha's Koraput district seems to be gaining momentum.

According to a report in the Indian Express newspaper, both the state governments are running their respective schools in these villages and children are to be enrolled in Odia and Telugu medium schools.

Border dispute between Andhra and Odisha

Odisha had filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court following Andhra Pradesh's decision to hold elections in six villages in the region. Hearing this, on August 31, the Supreme Court directed both the state governments to resolve the border dispute through political dialogue within six weeks.

The newspaper writes that despite the directions of the court, the ground situation remains the same. Andhra Pradesh has intensified the campaign to make its presence felt in the region through its social schemes.

Two weeks ago, a team of officials from Andhra Pradesh came here and performed a Bhoomi Pujan program for the construction of Anganwadi Centre, Arogya Kendra, Kisan Bhavan and Panchayat Office. A day later, Odisha officials also reached here.

electricity to both the state govts

Andhra Pradesh is providing electricity and drinking water to both the state governments at Fattusneri in Kotiya Gram Panchayat. Here both the state governments are promoting their schemes through banners and hoardings.

In Fattuseneri, while electricity is provided by Andhra Pradesh, both the governments provide drinking water and make it a point to advertise it through banners and billboards on water tanks.

About 5 km from Fattuseneri are two villages - Upara (Upper) Sembi and Tala (Lower) Sembi in Odia and Yeguva (Upper) Sembi and Takkuva (Lower) Sembi in Telugu - where some people have Aadhaar cards from Odisha and others AP.

“Both the states are fighting over this area. Often development works stop due to their uproar. At the end of the day, we are fine to be part of a state that offers us better opportunities,” says 27-year-old Pilaku Tadingi from Upara Sembi village, speaking in Oriya. His Aadhaar card identifies him as a resident of Upara Sembi village in Odisha's Koraput district.

Three homes away, in the same village, is 26-year-old Tadanki Sriram, whose Aadhaar card states that he is a resident of Yeguva Sembi, Sariki, Vizianagaram district, AP.

Every generation speaks a different language in Madkar village, about 12 km from here. A first-generation learner, 18-year-old Babula Tadingi speaks Oriya, one of the few who can. Others speak Kui, the language of the Kondh tribe. Young children speak fluent Telugu, many of whom are enrolled in Telugu-medium residential schools in Salur.

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