Telangana, Maharashtra In Tug Of War For 14 Villages
Villagers draw benefits from both states, cast votes in 2 states
Update: 2025-07-18 16:49 GMT
ADILABAD: Residents of 14 disputed villages straddling the Telangana-Maharashtra border are divided over which state they wish to join. The gram panchayats, located in Mukhaddamguda, Parandholi, Anthapur and Bholapatar of Kerameri mandal (Komaram Bheem Asifabad district), house roughly 10,000 people, about 5,000 of whom are registered voters.
For decades, villagers have drawn welfare benefits from both states and cast ballots in local body, Assembly and Parliamentary elections in Telangana as well as in Jiwati taluk of Chandrapur district, Maharashtra. The boundary dispute has been pending before the Supreme Court for years, yet both governments continue to claim jurisdiction.
Sources say Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed officials to incorporate the 14 villages into Maharashtra. Revenue minister Chandrasekhar Bawankule recently asserted that the state possesses “full revenue records” and already provides welfare and development schemes to these communities. He also promised land pattas for forest plots cultivated by local farmers.
Meanwhile, delegations from Anthapur, Indranagar, Padmavati, Narayanaguda and Maharajguda have petitioned Komaram Bheem Asifabad collector Venkatesh Dotre, urging merger with Telangana. They cite the state’s attractive welfare programmes, including recent farm loan waivers up to ₹2 lakh, Rythu Bharosa aid, pensions and ROFR pattas, as well as better access to education and hostel facilities. Lambadas, Buddhists, Mang and other OBC groups form a significant share of the population. Lambadas, in particular, hold Scheduled Tribe status in Telangana but are classified as VJNT in Maharashtra, a difference many are reluctant to forfeit.
Some families, however, favour Maharashtra because their children study in Marathi medium schools and maintain cultural ties with Chandrapur district. Ranaveer Ramdas of Mukhaddamguda said a village team met revenue minister Bawankule in Mumbai on July 15, seeking a formal merger and patta distribution. He added that a final decision should follow public consultations once Telangana schedules local body elections.
Union leaders echo the call for a referendum. Adilabad BJP MP Godam Nagesh urged both states to heed villagers’ preferences and comply with the Supreme Court’s directives. “Any resolution must respect public opinion and legal guidelines,” he said.
As political stakes rise ahead of upcoming local polls in Telangana, the decades old border issue has regained urgency, pitting welfare benefits, cultural identity and legal standing against one another in the contested villages.