Koraput: Residents of a tiny tribal village situated inside the cut-off area along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border in Malkangiri district are gradually leaning towards the neighbouring state after years of being ignored by their own government.

The villagers of Nerdupally under Ralegada panchayat of Chitrakonda block not only depends on Andhra for health care and marketing facilities, they also speak Telugu. Despite the state government opening a primary school and appointing two teachers, the residents cannot understand a word of Odia.

"Though classes are being taken, children are not interested in Odia. They are more inclined towards Andhra and speak Telugu. We face much difficulty in teaching the students," said Brundabati Gadwa, one of the teachers.

While the village is situated about 40km from the block headquarters of Chitrakonda, it is only two kilometres from Andhra's Korkunda village.

"We depend on the Korkunda weekly market and the primary health centre as well as the community health centre at Chintapalli," said Arjun Gadwa, a villager.

Sources said the villagers were so inclined towards Andhra culture that an interpreter accompanies officials from Odisha whenever they visit the village.

Only a small stream flowing near the village separates the village from Andhra. Villagers cross the river daily to reach the Korkunda market. However, when the water level rises during the rains, they get cut-off and face difficulty in getting their daily supplies in.

The Odisha government is already entangled in a decades-long legal dispute with Andhra over the ownership of 21 villages of Kotiya panchayt in Koraput district. Sources said the government should strengthen infrastructure at the border villages to ensure that they were not lured by the Andhra Pradesh government.

"There are several villages along the Odisha-Andhra border in Koraput and Malkangiri districts where people depend on the neighbouring state for their daily needs, including health care facilities. It's time that the state government developed these areas on a priority basis," said Binod Mohapatra, vice-president of Utkal Sammilani, an organisation that has long been working for the unity of Odisha and Odia speakers.

"It is most unfortunate that people residing in Odisha don't understand Odia," he added.

However, officials said all the government's social security and development programmes were being implemented at the village. "Still special care of villages lying on the border will be taken," said a senior district official.