Jagan to discuss contentious issues with Odisha CM

Amaravati: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will hold a meeting with his Odisha counterpart Navin Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on November 9 to discuss various contentious issues between the two neighbouring States.

Construction of Neradi barrage across river Vamsadhara, Polavaram irrigation project and the status of Kotiya villages bordering the two States would be high on the Chief Ministers' agenda, official sources here said.

The Vamsadhara Water Disputes Tribunal ruled in favour of Andhra Pradesh in June this year, permitting it to go ahead with the construction of Neradi barrage.

The project is expected to leave over 106 acres of land in Rayagada and Gajapati districts of Odisha submerged. It may also cause some water scarcity in those districts.

The Andhra government has agreed to pay compensation for the submerged land and also rehabilitate the displaced people.

But, the Odisha government is yet to respond to Andhra's proposals, the sources here said. Jagan would take up the issue with Navin Patnaik and seek to end the impasse, the sources added.

Also, the long-pending Polavaram project submergence issue would also be discussed to find a possible resolution, though the matter was now locked in a legal battle.

The Kotiya villages issue has also been simmering for long and pending resolution in the Supreme Court.

Tensions escalated in recent times when officials from Andhra were prevented from entering the villages in Vizianagaram district bordering Odisha. The Odisha police even put up barricades along the villages to prevent any movement into and from Andhra.

People of the Kotiya villages recently met the Vizianagaram district Collector and SP and gave written submissions that they would continue to only remain part of Andhra.

In that backdrop, the two Chief Ministers are expected to discuss the issue for a possible resolution, the official sources said. (PTI)