Salur MLA to challenge Odisha MLA, says he will set up Telugu signboards in Kothia

Visakhapatnam: Undeterred by an Odisha MLA’s threats to attack AP leaders, Salur MLA Rajanna Dora said he is determined to fix Telugu signboards in all the disputed Kothia villages from August 16.

The Pottangi MLA Peetam Padhi and his followers had camped in a disputed village for two days and announced that AP leaders and officials would be attacked if they dared to step into the disputed villages.

Dora told Deccan Chronicle on Friday that he would start fixing signboards in Telugu to popularise all the welfare schemes launched by the AP government in the last two years, with names of the villages, directions to the PHCs and road indicators.

“This apart, I will bring the Odisha MLA’s threat to the notice of chief minister Jagan as also the state chief secretary. I will also take legal opinion for filing a case in the Supreme Court seeking the MLA’s disqualification as he has issued threats in the public,’’ Dora said.

Dora noted that the Supreme Court in an order on December 2, 1968, declared status quo vis-à-vis the dispute over the villages. Some 22 villages under five panchayats were involved in the dispute. The people in these villages enjoyed the benefits from both the states and at the same time participated in Grama Panchayat and MPP elections held by the AP government.

They are also enjoying the benefits of the Ammavodi, Cheyutha and Rythu Bharosa schemes launched by the AP government, he said.

Except for three or four villages, the rest favour merger with Andhra Pradesh. The reason is their close proximity to the three public health centres located in Tonam, Mokkam and Saluru.