during his visit to Kotiya. Telegraph picture
Koraput: Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded a special package for the overall development of the disputed Kotiya panchayat under Pottangi block in the district to restrict the Andhra Pradesh government's intrusion into the area.
"As it is a disputed area, Kotiya can't be treated at par with other areas of the district. The state government should launch special packages for the area's speedy development," he said.
The Congress MLA, along with district Congress committee president Meenakshi Bahinipati, Koraput MLA Krushna Sagaria and former Pottangi MLA Ram Kadam, visited several villages of the panchayat on Tuesday and interacted with local villagers.
Training his gun on the state government for its alleged apathy towards Kotiya, Bahinipati said that no field level employee stayed at Kotiya and the area's primary education system had virtually collapsed. "In spite of the state government opening 22 primary schools and a residential high school in most of the villages, members of the tribal communities can't speak or write Odia because the schools are never open," he said.
He urged the government to appoint a nodal officer for the panchayat for better monitoring of development activities. "The government must prepare plans and projects for Kotiya in consultation with the local villagers, depending on their need. A district-level nodal officer has to be appointed for Kotiya," he said.
District planning committee chairman and Pottangi MLA Prafulla Pangi said bus services would be launched to Kotiya shortly.
"We have urged the district administration to introduce bus service to Kotiya under the Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana for the benefit of the villagers," Pangi said.
Last week, the Vizianagaram collector, along with his officials, came into the area and launched the Andhra Pradesh government's flagship Janmabhoomi programme at the Tolo Ganjeipadar village in the panchayat. Both the Odisha and Andhra governments have been entangled in a legal battle since 1968 over the ownership of 21 of the 28 villages under the panchayat. In March 2006, the Supreme Court had ordered to maintain status quo at the disputed villages.
