The ongoing inter-State dispute over jurisdiction of many villages in Kotia panchayat on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border would be resolved through discussions between the Governments of both States.
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Chairman Mohammed Ahmed Shariff informed this after a high-level meeting held in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
Odisha School & Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash raised the issue during the meeting attended by Shariff and senior officials of the Andhra Pradesh Government.He informed the Andhra delegation about the jurisdiction dispute of Kotia panchayat under Pottangi block in Koraput district where the people have been facing identity crisis since decades. He appealed to the Andhra Government through the delegation to sort out the grave situation. Besides, a discussion was also held between two State Governments on the language-based education issue in the bordering villages of Rayagada, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Ganjam and Koraput districts.
Around 80 lakh Telugu people are residing in these districts. Even as a teacher training centre has been set up in these districts, language teachers could not be appointed due to technical snags. Similarly, there are many Odia people in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. Around 4,000 children are studying in the neighbouring State where they face the same situation in schools. Total 230 Odia schools are in Andhra Pradesh where 130 Odia teachers are yet to be appointed.Sharriff assured Dash that the Andhra Government would take care of Odia students in his State.
“I am confident that all the issues between the two States will be resolved,” Shariff said after the meeting.“The discussion was held on student issues of both the States.
Before the discussion, the Andhra Pradesh delegation had visited many districts to review the ground-level situations. The discussion will continue further,” Dash told media.