BHUBANESWAR, APR 5   :    Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has expressed serious concern over the absence of the Machkund River, which defines the Andhra-Odisha border, on the revenue map of Odisha.

Pradhan tweeted, “The Machkund River, which demarcates the Andhra-Odisha border, is the lifeline of Koraput and our identity, and also an integral part of Odisha.”

The Union Minister said he was worried to learn from a newspaper report that the Machkund River, an important and very relevant feature in Odisha, is not included in Odisha’s revenue map.

Describing it as a serious matter for the Odias, Pradhan said that while the infiltration of Odisha by neighboring states continues, such news has shocked the people of the state.

It has been reported that the Odisha government has handed over the ‘Machkund Hydropower Project’, which was built far away from the Machkund River, to the Andhra government.

A grave error has already been found in the 10th-grade book published by the Odisha Board of Secondary Education, which mentions that the Machkund Water Project is in Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Minister further stated that it is a matter of concern that the state government is not sensitively addressing the issues of our geographical locations and border areas.

“Is this a transformation after the long 25-year regime?” he questioned, stating that this is a matter of privacy and state interest for the 4.5 crore Odia people.(UNI)