Border tribes of Kotia keen to be with AP

Vizianagaram: District administration has felicitated the elders of Kotia villages. Actually, these villages are located in Andhra -Odisha border area and as of now they are in a dilemma over their native state.

But recently the villages of this area have passed a resolution in the villages and expressed their interest to join Andhra Pradesh and they won't accept the government of Odisha's appeal to stay with that State.

They expressed their interest to be the part of AP but not Odisha. On Monday they arrived at Vizianagaram collector office and submitted a memorandum to take necessary steps to recognize them as citizens of AP.

In connection with this occasion, Collector A Suryakumari and other officials have felicitated the tribes and their leaders. Leaders belong to Ganjayi Bhadra, Konadhara, Pattu Chennuru and Pagulu Chennuru have arrived at Vizianagaram and submitted a memorandum to the Collector and appealed her to take immediate action to merge those controversial areas in Andhra Pradesh and respect their emotions and interests.

T Singaramma of Konadhara village stated that the officials of Odisha are tempting them by offering house pattas, agriculture land and some other welfare schemes and pressurising us to stay with Odisha.

"But we are interested to be the part of AP only. We believe that AP would protect us and safe guard us," she said.

Gemmeli Bees of Ganjayi Bhadra stated that the Odisha police and other officials are threatening us and said that they would cancel our land pattas and even police cases also would be booked but we are not scared of them. "All of the villages are interested to live with the AP.

"At the same time, we are expecting security and support from the Andhra government," he said. Collector A Surya Kumari and other officials have welcomed the tribes in a grand way and felicitated in the collectorate auditorium.

A grand lunch was arranged in which all the district officials also participated. Later, the Collector said that it is a sensitive issue, which is unsolved for the past few decades. "We would definitely take this issue to the notice of the government and do every favorable help to these villages," she said.

Later, the Collector also appreciated the district officials for delivering better services to the tribes and directed them to continue the same spirit and protect the interests of the Kotia villages. Later, the tribes met Superintendent of Police M Deepika and explained how the Odisha is exploiting them.

Deepika assured that the police would always support the tribes and protect them. Later she distributed groceries to the tribes and arranged a vehicle to reach their villages.

She said that a regular police station was at Kotia area till 1998 but later the station was shifted to Salur and police is monitoring the law and order system. "Any how we will be with you always," she said. N Surya Chandra Rao, additional SP also participated in the programme.