Koraput/Gajapati: After Kotia panchayat, residents of two more villages of Koraput and Gajapati districts have reportedly been lured by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government with basic facilities.
Taking advantage of the Odisha government's indifference to issues of residents of Raipada village of Koraput and Khudi Gudi village of Gajapati, the Andhra government is running a parallel administration by providing electricity and drinking water facilities. Besides, Anganwadi workers of Andhra have been giving services in the two villages. Moreover, elderly persons of the village have been getting old age pension from the neighbouring state.
Meanwhile, 13 families of Raipada village with voter ID cards mentioning that they are the residents of Odisha, also possess the Aadhaar card with an address in Andhra Pradesh.
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Kalia Hantala, a Raipada resident stated, "The Odisha government is least bothered about drinking water and road problems in the village."
Refuting the charges, Rameshwar Pradhan, BDO, Nandapur block, said, "As the village is located close to the Andhra border, they might have got the facilities from the neighbouring State. But the local administration has done everything possible for the villagers."
While residents of Khudi Gudi village have been issued voter ID cards and provided houses by the Andhra Pradesh government, the local administration after media highlighted about the village, had provided them with ration cards.
Shankar Khabar, a Khudi Gudi resident, said, "The Andhra government has provided electricity, ration card and voter ID card to us."
Also read: Administration reviews welfare activities in disputed Kotia GP
Majhi Jambubati, an Asha worker of Andhra said, "As the village comes under Andhra Pradesh, we provide medicine to pregnant women and administer injections to babies in the village."
Buzz is that the Odisha government has knowingly neglected the villages which has allowed the Andhra Pradesh government to take advantage of the indifference.
Ranjan Kumar Biswal, sub collector of Paralakhemundi, said, "There is an inter-state dispute about the village due to which a joint inquiry has been set up. After getting the reports only it will be known whether the village comes under the jurisdiction of Andhra or Odisha."