Odisha-AP officials agree on inter-state coordination

Parvathipuram: Inter-state bordering districts came to an understanding to support each other during the election time for smooth functioning of poll activities. District collectors of Parvthipuram Manyam in AP and Rayagada and Koraput of Odisha discussed several issues in virtual mode related to coordination for elections on Thursday.

Manyam district collector Nishant Kumar said that free and fair polls should be their objective and they need to strive for it. The districts were going to polls in the same phase and coordination should be there, especially in curbing ID liquor, narcotics, monitoring and control of freebies’ distribution, to provide vehicles for polling personnel, moving polling personnel over borders of the districts and in conducting elections in disputed Kotia villages. He said that passing of ID liquor through borders and cannabis through railways and buses was witnessed and vigilance and should be tightened at check-posts on each side of the border.

Nishant Kumar made it clear there should not be any obstruction to voters from official machinery of any side in the Kotia villages. It may be noted that there is a legal dispute between both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over these bordering villages. He said without any prejudice to the legal dispute, election process can be continued like it was done before.

“Voters will vote on their own, this has been going on for many years" the collector said. Four polling stations were set up for 22 villages in Kotia and the list would be shared with the Koraput district administration.

SP Vikrant Patil said that the border check-posts were arranged and coordination is needed between the two states.

Koraput district collector V Keerthi Vasan said that they were ready to coordinate in all aspects for free and fair polls.

He said that about eight polling stations were arranged in kotia area, of which two stations were near border.

Rayagada collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan said that some polling personnel had to reach polling stations through Komarada mandal and requested the AP officials co-operate for their movement.