Odisha moves Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh over rural poll notice in Kotia area
While all the 28 villages under Kotia Gram Panchayat remain in Odisha territory, Andhra Pradesh has been claiming its rights over 21 villages. Odisha challenged this in the Supreme Court in 1968 and the court asked both States to maintain the status quo in 2006
Odisha has filed a contempt of court petition against Andhra Pradesh, challenging the latter's notice to hold panchayat elections in the disputed Kotia region within Odisha's Koraput district. A total of 28 villages under Kotia Gram Panchayat are under Odisha's jurisdiction, but Andhra Pradesh has been asserting its claim over 21 of these villages.
The conflict dates back to a 1968 Supreme Court ruling, which requested both states to respect the existing status quo. Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Suresh Pujari, revealed that the petition was filed by the district collector of Koraput following Andhra Pradesh's October 10 notification to conduct Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in the Kotia cluster of villages, which lie within Odisha's territory.
Opponents of the Odisha government accuse it of "silence" on the disputed region with Andhra Pradesh. Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani has urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to safeguard the residents of the disputed Kotia villages, where Odisha authorities are reportedly obstructing Andhra Pradesh personnel from conducting census data collection.
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