Union Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan visits throughout Utkal Divas (Odisha basis day) celebrations with villagers, at Kotia of Koraput district, on April 1, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan visited Phatsineru, a village in Kotia Gram Panchayat of Koraput district to have fun Odisha’s Foundation Day on Saturday, escalating Opposition cost that the Biju Janata Dal Government totally failed to defend State’s jurisdictional integrity.
Both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments have been claiming their jurisdictional authority over Kotia Gram Panchayat which contains 21 villages throughout previous 5 many years. The two States have challenged one another’s administrative management over Kotia in Supreme Court, which ordered establishment first in 1968 and once more in 2006.
In 2021, Andhra Pradesh had arrange voting cubicles in Kotia villages and held direct panchayat elections in some villages. A yr later, Odisha held elections to three-tier Panchayati Raj establishments.
Six Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs accompanied Mr. Pradhan throughout the celebration of Odisha’s Foundation Day at Phatsineru.
The Biju Janata Dal additionally held a public assembly at Ganjeipadar village of Kotia Gram Panchayat to have fun the event. Chandrasekhar Majhi, chairperson of Special Development Council of Koraput; Nabarangpur MP Ramesh Chandra Majhi and different BJD leaders have been a part of the celebration.
“I feel happy to be visiting Kotia, a bordering panchayat of Odisha. I have reviewed different projects being executed in Phatsineru village and interacted with villagers,” stated Mr. Pradhan. During his visit, the Union Minister was confronted by Andhra Pradesh authorities officers, who requested him to depart the place.
The visit of Mr. Pradhan assumes significance because the Naveen Patnaik authorities has been continually drawing flak for not having the ability to defend the villages. Neighbouring States equivalent to Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have been repeatedly claiming administrative management over some Odisha villages.
Thus, the visit appeared to haven’t gone down effectively with the BJD. In an extended three-page press assertion, the BJD stated, “where was Mr. Pradhan when Odisha government was fighting with Andhra Pradesh Government for Kotia? Why did Mr. Pradhan keep mum during legal battle for Kotia in Supreme Court? The Union Minister has only tried to mislead people by doling out false promises.” The celebration additionally supplied an extended checklist of incomplete tasks belonging to Central authorities.
Former Nabarangpur MP Pradip Majhi even went on to accuse Mr. Pradhan of conspiring to shift Central University of Odisha from Koraput district.
