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New Delhi: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has faced roadblocks in 14 villages bordering Telangana and Maharashtra. Many villagers have refused to accept the enumeration forms, demanding that the question of the state they belonged to be fixed first. Interestingly, both states have staked claim to these villages and the matter is pending in the Supreme Court.

About 3,500 voters out of a population of around 6,000 in the 14 villages falling under Parandoli, Mukaddamguda, Antapur and Bolapatar gram panchayats have for decades voted both in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana) and Maharashtra in assembly and general elections since 1956, when the states were first reorganised on linguistic basis. They have been electing two sarpanches, two MLAs and two MPs in all the elections since then.

The residents of these villages have voter identity cards, ration cards and Aadhaar cards issued by both the states. Moreover, some of these villages get electricity from lines laid by both the states. Each state has its own ration shop in some of these villages. There are also two sarpanches — one representing Telangana and the other Maharashtra — and two schools in Telugu and Marathi each for the four gram panchayats.

The Anganwadi centres are also set up separately by both the states in these habitations. The Maharashtra government has laid roads to stretches accessed from the Chandrapur side, while unmotorable paths over rocks and boulders greet people coming from Telangana.

These villages are located in an area of 80 square kilometres on the Telangana-Maharashtra border, they fall in the Kerameri tehsil of Adilabad in Telangana and Jivati tehsil of Chandrapur in Maharashtra. The territorial disputes date back to 1956, when the state of Andhra Pradesh was formed.

Also read: Under Shadow of 90 Lakh ‘Anomaly’ Voters and Amid Language Concerns, SIR Kicks Off in Telangana

The villages were part of erstwhile Hyderabad state during Nizam’s rule till 1956. Post the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, the villages........

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