Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, via a letter, has appealed to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to call an all party-meeting over border disputes with neighbouring states. He highlighted the urgency and also urged the CM to seek the support of the Central government in mediating a resolution.
In the letter, he mentioned the rising tensions along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border at Pottangi Block in Koraput district.
“It is understood that unilateral demarcation claiming certain portions of the Sunabeda Mouza under Sambai Panchayat and digging of a pond in the village of Talaganjei Padar by officials of the Andhra Pradesh administration was found unacceptable to Odisha. The matter has now escalated to blockage of Pottangi-Arku road by villagers on the Andhra Pradesh side”, wrote the Union Minister.
Pradhan also suggested forming a House Committee in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, consisting of members representing the issue as well as from the area to present their learned findings along with their recommendation.
“Odisha has a long history of border and water disputes with all these neighbouring states owing to historical, cartographic and geographical reasons,” he said mentioning the fact that fourteen out of Odisha’s thirty districts share borders with Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
He suggested arriving at a sensible decision and resolving Odisha’s ongoing and long-standing border disputes with neighbouring states.
“However, it must be ensured that socio-economic interest of the people of Odisha is not compromised in any way and if necessary, the State should also consider legal remedies for resolution of these disputes,” the Union Minister said concluding his letter.