7 Odisha districts have border dispute with neighbouring states: Minister

Bhubaneswar:  Seven districts of Odisha have border dispute with neighboring states. The districts are Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Nuapada, Koraput, Ganjam and Gajapati.

Informing this in the state Legislative Assembly yesterday, Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi said the Government is in talks with the neighbouring counterparts to resolve the issue.

He further said that developmental works, including road construction carried out at various places in the bordering districts on the instruction of the local Tehsildar, BDO and other administrative officials  of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand  and West Bengal have not come to the notice of Odisha Government. However, the Odisha Government has ensured various amenities to the people of the bordering districts and making efforts to provide more facilities, he added.

He further informed Kotia consists of 21 revenue villages on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. The Supreme Court recorded in its order to both the states passed on March 30, 2006 to maintain status quo.

“Odisha Government has taken several developmental project for the collective development of the disputed villages. A high-level committee has also been formed for review of various welfare programmes. The Andhra Government’s claim of taking steps for development of the  bordering places is false,” the Revenue Minister said.