Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Sambalpur MP and former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday called for collective efforts cutting across political affiliations to resolve the long-standing Kotia border dispute, stressing that safeguarding Odisha’s identity, sovereignty and territorial integrity was a shared responsibility.
Pradhan said Kotia held immense significance for Odisha and its people, and the prolonged border dispute over the region remained a matter of concern. He urged political leaders to work together in the interest of the state and find a lasting solution to the issue.
He said he had personally visited Kotia village in April 2018, February 2019 and April 2023 to assess the situation in the border region.
To address the issues arising from Andhra Pradesh’s repeated interventions in the area, Pradhan said he had written to Naveen Patnaik, who was then the Odisha chief minister, on November 18, 2020, and October 31, 2022.
He had also written to the then Andhra Pradesh chief minister, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on September 22, 2021, urging him to help resolve the dispute, Pradhan said.
Emphasising the role of political leaders in addressing the concerns of the strategically important border region, he called for cordial discussions at the highest level to create a conducive atmosphere for resolving the issue.
Pradhan also recalled the contributions of eminent personalities, including Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, Byasa Kabi Fakir Mohan Senapati, Swabhaba Kabi Gangadhar Meher and Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo of Paralakhemundi, in safeguarding Odisha’s geographical boundaries.
Their sacrifices and contributions would never go in vain, he said.
“Our continuous struggle to protect Odia Asmita (Odia identity) will continue. Safeguarding Odisha’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity is the collective responsibility of all of us,” Pradhan said.
