Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday said the state government is committed to taking all appropriate measures for an early and lasting resolution of the long-standing border dispute involving Kotia gram panchayat in Pottangi block of Koraput district, IANS reported from Bhubaneswar.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

The remarks came amid renewed tensions after neighbouring Andhra Pradesh moved to hold panchayat elections in some villages of the disputed area. Pujari held a detailed virtual review, discussed legal measures with Odisha Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, directed the district administration to keep a close watch, and said the state would expedite legal steps and strengthen its administrative presence in the border areas, HiIndia reported in its account of the same IANS report.

Source: HiIndia (IANS)

Following Andhra Pradesh's notification for panchayat elections in Kotia, the Odisha government decided to deploy one official each from the police and revenue departments to be stationed in Kotia, track Andhra Pradesh's activities, oversee development works and submit regular reports, Sambad English reported. The review meeting was attended by the Koraput Collector, the Koraput Superintendent of Police, the Southern Revenue Divisional Commissioner, the Advocate General, the Law Secretary and senior revenue officials, it said.

Source: Sambad English

1968year Odisha first approached the Supreme Court over Kotia
2006year the Supreme Court dismissed Odisha's original suit; review and curative petitions were also dismissed
2021year Andhra Pradesh last held panchayat elections in the disputed villages, prompting a contempt petition
2officials — one police, one revenue — to be stationed in Kotia to monitor developments

Pujari said maintaining peace, stability and public trust in Kotia, alongside protecting the state's legal rights, is the government's priority. He said the government would explore reviving the pending contempt petition before the Supreme Court or filing a fresh one if necessary. The Advocate General has been entrusted with the legal steps, with the Additional Chief Secretary of the revenue department and the Koraput Collector directed to provide all required documents.

Tracing the legal history, Pujari noted that after the interstate boundary case was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2006, the review and curative petitions were also dismissed, and the previous BJD government filed another case in 2022, after a gap of 16 years, which is currently pending. The issue had become more complicated when Andhra Pradesh conducted panchayat elections in the disputed villages in February 2021, after which Odisha filed a contempt petition. These are the Odisha minister's statements and criticism of the previous government, reported as his claims; the BJD has separately vowed to fight for Kotia's residents, Sambad English reported.

Sources: IANS via The Freedom Press and HiIndia, Sambad English.