Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday conducted a comprehensive review of the Kotia Gram Panchayat issue in Koraput district and said the state government is committed to safeguarding Odisha’s interests through legal and administrative steps.
Pujari, who joined the review through virtual mode, held detailed discussions with Advocate General Pitambar Acharya and sought advice on legal steps to protect the state’s interests. He stressed the need to expedite necessary legal action and strengthen Odisha’s administrative presence in the border areas.
The review comes in the wake of Andhra Pradesh government’s announcement to hold panchayat elections. Pujari directed the administration to closely monitor the situation and said the priority of the state government is to maintain peace, stability and public confidence in Kotia and protect the legitimate rights of the state.
Pujari noted that the dispute over Kotia villages has been a subject of discussions and legal proceedings between both states for many years. After Odisha dismissed the inter-state boundary dispute in 2006, the review petition and curative petition filed in Supreme Court were also dismissed.
Instead of immediate action, after a gap of sixteen years, the then government filed another case in 2022 which is currently pending. The issue became more complicated in February 2021 when Andhra Pradesh held panchayat elections in the disputed villages, following which Odisha filed a contempt petition in Supreme Court.
Since the matter is sub-judice, the Advocate General has been given responsibility to take all necessary legal steps and the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department and Koraput Collector have been directed to provide all documents and cooperation.
The Minister emphasized coordinated steps based on legal facts, historical documents, census data and administrative records, with coordination between concerned departments, legal experts and district administration.
He said the government is giving priority to making the legal process more effective for a speedy, permanent and constitutional resolution and ensuring uninterrupted delivery of government services, developmental programmes and basic amenities to people of Kotia. On Chief Minister’s instructions, a committee under chairmanship of Revenue Minister is regularly visiting Kotia and reviewing development works. The district administration has been directed to keep a close watch on the situation.
The meeting was attended by Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Department Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Southern RDC, Koraput Collector and SP and senior officers of concerned departments.
