At a time when Kotia has become a bone of contention between the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, residents of several other villages in the bordering areas of Koraput districts have expressed their willingness to merge with the neighbouring state.
Caught between the two states, the residents of Singhajhola, Tanku, Jabada and Turuku village under Kumuganda gram panchayat of Bandhugaon block in Koraput district alleged that the Odisha government does not provide them basic facilities.
They said the government of Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, gives major focus on the development of the bordering villages and its residents and provides all the basic facilities.
The residents alleged that the Odisha government became concerned about them only after the Kotia dispute emerged, but in reality, the State government does not have empathy for them.
“The Andhra Pradesh government has developed road and other infrastructures in their bordering villages. The government has also constructed roads for plying of vehicles by spending crores of rupees,” said Nagesh Kandagori, a resident of Jadaba village.
“In Kotia, the Odisha government is now spending crores of rupees, but why the State government is ignoring the residents of Jadawa village in Bandhugaon block,” Kandagori questioned.
Enkaya Kadraka, a local resident said, “Our area does not have proper road and drinking water facilities. Ambulance cannot reach to our village due to lack of motorable road and we have to carry patients to hospital in cot.”
“Whenever we approach the government officials with our issues, they only give hollow assurance and do nothing to address our problems,” he added.
In the absence of motorable road, the residents alleged they had to trek 5 km through Andhra Pradesh village to reach the panchayat office and get a pension of Rs 500.
When asked, Bandhugaon BDO Akash Pattnaik said, “We had conducted grievance redressed at Kumuganda GP last Monday. The tender process has already been completed and execution of 17-km road project is underway. I am hopeful, the project will complete soon and the communication problem of the villagers will be resolved.”