Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will deploy eight additional platoons of police personnel in the disputed Kotia region of Koraput district to prevent Andhra Pradesh from conducting elections in the area, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Wednesday.
Pujari said the state government was closely monitoring the situation in Kotia and would thwart any attempt by Andhra Pradesh to conduct elections in the disputed territory.
He said local residents were opposing Andhra Pradesh’s activities in the region, including the removal of posters put up by officials from the neighbouring state.
Police personnel, government officials and political party leaders were present in Kotia to safeguard Odisha’s interests, the minister said.
He alleged that Andhra Pradesh was attempting to conduct elections in violation of Supreme Court directions and was trying to lure local residents.
Pujari said Odisha had filed a contempt petition against Andhra Pradesh officials over their actions in the disputed region.
The state government would also approach the Centre and seek its intervention to initiate discussions with Andhra Pradesh to resolve the long-standing dispute, he said.
Emphasising Odisha’s administrative presence in Kotia, the minister said the state had developed roads and other infrastructure in the region.
He added that Andhra Pradesh did not have a single government office in the area and that the police administration was also under Odisha’s control.
Pujari further said Andhra Pradesh had attempted to conduct elections during a previous occasion by setting up a polling station inside a church. However, this time, it had failed to establish a polling station within Kotia.
