Villages turn into hot spots for polls

JEYPORE, SEPT 19: Nestled in the leafy heights of the Western Ghats, 800 metres above sea level, the Kutia villages occupy an unique place in the political and administrative maps of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

The uniqueness of the non-descript villages in Potangi block of Koraput district peopled by the Kutia-Kondh tribe, becomes all the more pronounced during polls when the administrative machineries of both States get involved in a tug of war over voters. Any single voter in the booths near these inaccessible villages on either side of the ill-defined boundary becomes a cause of celebration for the officials. It is a different story that candidates hardly bother to trek into the difficult terrain to seek votes.

The administrative tussle is the fallout of an unresolved boundary dispute between the States. A faulty demarcation in 1942 left the status of the 21 villages unclear and the battle over the pieces of land still continues. Government officials of both the States, to make their claim stronger,arrive in hordes in these villages before every election and coax the voters to vote in the booths on the respective sides. Amme ettek babu monke vote bel ekka dekhilusuni,8221; We see such a large number of officials during election only informed a Kondh tribal.