Andhra Pradesh solar installation prompts Odisha plan in Kotia villages
The decades-old tug-of-war between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha over 21 Kotia Panchayat villages just got a new twist.
Andhra Pradesh kicked things off by a private agency engaged by it installing solar panels for tribal families in Eguva Simbi village, part of the PM Surya Ghar Bijli Yojana.
Odisha officials showed up soon after to check it out, and now they are planning their own solar panel rollout on the rooftops of all PM Awas beneficiaries in the village.
Odisha census arrests, Sandhya Rani intervened
This is not the first time things have gotten tense. In April, Odisha ran a census in these disputed villages, which led to arrests, though the two tribal men were released after the intervention of Salur TDP MLA Sandhya Rani.
Andhra Pradesh followed with its own census, keeping the rivalry alive. With both states pushing projects like solar panels and censuses, it is clear they are each trying to prove these villages belong to them.