Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will deploy officials from its Police and Revenue departments in the disputed Kotia region to monitor Andhra Pradesh’s activities and assess development works, following the neighbouring state’s decision to hold panchayat elections in the area, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Pujari to discuss the longstanding territorial dispute. One official each from the two departments will be stationed in Kotia and submit regular reports to the state government on developments in the region, Andhra Pradesh’s activities and Odisha’s ongoing projects.
The meeting was attended by the Koraput Collector and Superintendent of Police, Southern Revenue Divisional Commissioner, Advocate General, Law Secretary and senior Revenue Department officials.
Pujari said the state government would explore legal options in the Supreme Court to protect Odisha’s territorial interests, including reviving the pending contempt petition or filing a fresh one, if required.
Tracing the legal history of the dispute, he said Odisha had approached the Supreme Court in 1968. A contempt petition and a curative petition were filed in 2006 following an adverse court ruling, he added.
The minister accused the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government of failing to adequately prepare for the legal battle over Kotia. He also criticised former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for allegedly relying on correspondence instead of taking effective measures to reinforce Odisha’s presence in the region.
Patnaik, now the Leader of the Opposition, had on Monday urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take decisive steps to protect the state’s territorial integrity following Andhra Pradesh’s move to conduct panchayat elections in Kotia.
Pujari said the BJP government had intensified development activities in the region since coming to power, with ministers from various departments visiting the area to strengthen engagement with residents.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJD asserted that Kotia belonged to Odisha and accused the BJP government of failing to respond adequately to the latest developments.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty claimed that the previous government had undertaken sustained development initiatives between 2000 and 2024 to improve connectivity and public services in the region.
He cited road projects linking Kotia with Kunduli, Doliambo-Naringipadar, Deomali and other interior areas, besides the establishment of an Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya, tribal boys’ and girls’ hostels, Anganwadi centres and school buildings.
Healthcare infrastructure was also expanded through a 10-bed hospital, upgraded health sub-centres and mobile medical units, while a police station was established and electricity, drinking water and mobile connectivity improved, Mohanty said.
He added that hundreds of families had received houses under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana.
Kotia, located in Koraput district along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, has remained a source of dispute between the two states for decades. Andhra Pradesh’s move to hold panchayat elections in the region has renewed concerns over Odisha’s administrative presence and territorial claims.
