India News | Patnaik Inaugurates Projects in Kotia Region Ahead of Rural Polls in Andhra Pradesh

Bhubaneswar, Feb 5 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday inaugurated virtually a slew of development projects and laid the foundation stones for some others in Kotia gram panchayat which is caught in a border row with Andhra Pradesh.

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced election in three villages of the panchayat, which falls in tribal Koraput district of Odisha, on February 13 and 17.

Patnaik Friday virtually inaugurated development projects worth Rs 18 crore and laid the foundation stone for works of another Rs five crore. He also laid the foundation stone of a bridge, which will incur a cost of Rs five crore.

Kotia will be transformed into an ideal gram panchayat, he announced adding the Odisha government has developed all facilities like education, healthcare, communication, drinking water, electricity in the panchayat area.

Programmes have been undertaken to ensure social and food security and initiatives have been taken for livelihoods, he said.

Patnaik had announced a Kotia development package worth Rs 150 crore in 2018.

I am working for development of all regions from Malkangiri (in sothern Odisha) to Mayurbhanj (in the northern part of the state) and from Koraput to Cuttack. We are working to bring the benefits of development to every family in every corner of the state, Patnaik said.

The government appointed a new district magistrate for Koraput during the day.

Odisha and neighbour Andhra Pradesh are at logger heads for the past several decades as both claim their jurisdiction over Kotia Gram Panchayat. Of the total 28 villages under the panchayat, Andhra Pradesh claims 21 of them and provides various benefits to over 5,000 residents in the region.

Andhra Pradesh has also provided Aadhar cards to the people of the region.

The Odisha government has alleged that the neighbouring state has been luring people to Kotia gram panchayat as the region has rich reserves of mineral resources.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a series of tweets in Odia said Probably we have not been successful in giving the required importance to the Kotia issue. We have not worked to keep the people connected.

Earlier, I had visited Kotia area and talked to the people there. I had also suggested the chief minister to take all political parties and organizations into confidence to resolve the issue, Pradan said adding that everyone notwithstanding their political affiliations should work together as Andhra Pradesh has started making claims over Odisha villages.

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said that Andhra Pradesh holding rural polls in Odisha jurisdiction proved Patnaik's weak leadership.

The chief minister cannot ensure safety of the state, he alleged.

The Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border controversy in Kotia is a long-standing issue and the mere transfer of the district magistrate will not resolve it, Mishra said.

Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati claimed that many people in Kotia gram panchyat area favour Andhra Pradesh due to the decades-long deprivation by the Odisha government.

BJP leader Jayram Pangi alleged that Andhra Pradeshs intrusion speaks of its dominance in Kotia region.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)