Border row: Maharashtra villages on border seek merger with Telangana

At least 14 villages dotted on the border of Telangana demanded inclusion as they were ‘attracted’ to the development and welfare schemes

Amid the border row between Maharashtra and Karnataka, the villages contiguous to Telangana in the Chandrapur district of the western State have also raised the demand for inclusion in the neighbouring Telugu State.

At least 14 villages dotted on the border of Telangana demanded inclusion as they were ‘attracted’ to the development and welfare schemes, including Rythu Bandhu, Dalita Bandhu, Rythu Bima, and free power supply to farmers, initiated by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

With both States involved in a territorial dispute over an 80 sq km stretch of land located on the border of Jivti taluka of Chandrapur district, and Kerameri Mandal in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district in neighbouring State since 1956 and claims the territory as their part, the villages are administered by both Maharashtra and Telangana as the matter is pending in the Supreme Court. The villagers have dual voter cards and many have ration cards from both States.

Half the villages, Karanjiwada, Lakhmapur, Kota, Parandoli, and Jankapur, are part of Parandoli grama panchayat, and the remaining Bolapatar, Isapur, Anthapur, Gowri, Arkepalli, and Paraswada, are part of Anthapur grama panchayat. However, Anarpally of Maharashtra is completely governed by Telangana.

These two gram panchayats have a population of over 6,000, most of whom are Marathi-speaking SCs and some Muslims who migrated from drought-hit Nanded, Parbhani, and Jalna districts of Marathwada between 1970 and 1971, said Congress leader and Rajura MLA Subhash Ramchandrarao Dhote told The Hindu.

“80% of the people in those villages want to stay with Maharashtra, and the issue was being fueled up unnecessarily. Only 1,700-odd people have electoral rights. Nobody speaks Telugu, everyone speaks only Marathi and a majority of them originally hail from Maharashtra, so technically they don’t have Telangana roots,” he said.

According to Mr. Dhote, a handful of villagers want to merge with Telangana, and their demand is illegitimate, as the matter is still pending with the Supreme Court. He also said that the work of giving ownership rights of agricultural land in these disputed villages has started. “They are the citizens of Maharashtra and will continue to remain.