Koraput (Odisha), Nov 3 Tension flared up in a village in the disputed Kotia border region on Tuesday, when Andhra Pradesh police allegedly attempted to dismantle barricades erected by the Odisha administration to prevent unauthorised entry of people and holding of the panchayat election, officials said.
The decades-old dispute between the two states recently came to the fore again after the Andhra Pradesh government issued a notification to hold its rural polls in some villages in the Odisha territory on November 5.
Of the 28 villages in the Kotia cluster under the Pottangi assembly segment in Koraput district of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh has been claiming rights over 21.
Personnel from the two states engaged in a heated exchange after Odisha Police stopped their Andhra Pradesh counterparts from entering Kotia through a check post. AP Police allegedly attempted to cross the border and instigate some local villagers against Odisha police.
The incident followed the previous day’s interception by Odisha police of an Andhra Pradesh-registered truck loaded with PDS rice near the same check post.
Koraput district sub-collector Fabi Rasheed said, “The AP police and officials forcibly attempted to remove the barricade at Neridivalasa check post. They were not in a mood to talk and insisted on removing the barricades and entering Odisha. We could not understand what they were saying in Telugu.”
Koraput SP Rohit Verma said there was a tussle between police personnel of the two states at Neridivalasa, but Andhra police were not allowed to enter Kotia area.
“We have deployed at least 16 platoons (1 platoon comprises 30 personnel) of police in Kotia to prevent any untoward incident in view of the upcoming panchayat elections. Our forces will remain stationed in the region for the next few days,” Verma said.
Senior police officers, including ASPs and DSPs, from different parts of the district have been deployed to monitor the situation.
Odisha has erected three police posts at Neridivalasa, Talasembi and Phatuseneri Chhak to stop cross-border movement and prevent administrative or electoral encroachment, a senior official said.
“The situation is under control, and all three of our checkpoints are operational,” Verma told reporters.
The border disagreement between the two states dates back to the 1930s. Both states have claimed administrative jurisdiction over the Kotia villages, and the matter has been pending before the Supreme Court since 1968.
Residents of the area hold dual voter identity cards and take benefits of welfare schemes from both governments.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari criticised the AP’s move to hold rural polls in Odisha territory.
“The state government have been opposing their move and filed a contempt of court petition against AP’s chief secretary, district collector, State Election Commissioner and others challenging their notification to hold rural polls in Odisha villages,” the minister said.
Pujari also claimed that all political parties in Odisha have united to ensure that AP could not hold its rural polls in Kotia.
He accused the Andhra Pradesh government of creating a constitutional crisis by holding panchayat polls in Kotia, while the region already has its panchayat samiti members and Zilla Parishad members in Koraput district.
He asked, “How can one area elect two sarpanchs, samiti members or Zilla Parishad members?”
“If a specific region starts having two competing sarpanchs, two ward members, and overlapping administrative setups from two states, it creates a total collapse of constitutional machinery,” Pujari said.
(PTI News)
