Koraput: At a time when the state government has condemned the Andhra Pradesh's intrusion in Kotiya panchayat under Pottangi block and has prepared an action plan for the overall development of the 21 disputed villages, no body has paid any attention to Bangariguda, a tribal-populated hamlet on the Odisha-Andhra border.

For all practical purposes, the Andhra government runs its writ at Bangariguda under Pottangi block in Koraput.

The neighbouring state government has successfully attracted the 30-0dd families living there by providing electricity, distributing voter ID cards and jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The Andhra government even runs a school at Bangariguda, which is about 140km from the district headquarters town of Koraput.

According to the state government records, the village is included under Pottangi block. The Andhra government, however, has marked Bangariguda as part of its Panchipeta Mandal in Vizianagaram district.

"We exercise our franchise in both the states during elections," said Chinnaendiyya Mamidi, a villager.

The residents prefer to lodge their complaints in Andhra Pradesh's Panchipeta police station though the village is in Odisha's Pottangi police limits.

"We send our children to the Andhra government school, because the one built by Odisha has not been functioning for the past several years. Our villagers also get work from Andhra Pradesh under the rural job scheme. In fact, we get more benefits from Andhra Pradesh than Odisha," Mamidi said.

Contrary to the villagers' claim, the Koraput district administration said the Odisha government was responsible for the village's development.

"I have been informed by the block officials that the villagers are receiving the entitled government facilities. Still, I will personally visit the area to take stock of the situation. And if there is any intrusion from the Andhra government, necessary steps will be taken," said Koraput sub-collector Krutibas Rout.

"Bangarigudi residents are completely dependent on the Andhra government for development. Odisha is already entangled in legal battles with Andhra Pradesh for 21 villages in Kotiya panchayat under Pottangi block. It's high time the district administration protested against the Andhra policies. If the administration's apathetic attitude continues there is every possibility of Andhra claiming Bangariguda and few other Odisha villages as its own," said Utkal Sammeleni secretary Binod Mohapatra.