Bhubaneswar: Tensions along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border escalated on Wednesday after Koraput police took charge of an Andhra Pradesh police checkpost located at Upper Sembi village in the disputed Kotia panchayat. DSP TPS Mandal confirmed that Andhra Pradesh personnel vacated the post as soon as Odisha police arrived at the spot.
The takeover followed a massive gathering of residents from across Koraput district, who marched to Kotia to oppose Andhra Pradesh’s plan to hold local body elections in the contested area on November 5.
Protesters, many of them women, dismantled barricades put up by Andhra Pradesh police, claiming the barriers were intended to help the neighbouring state assert control over villages that Odisha regards as its own. The incident has once again highlighted the unresolved territorial claims over Kotia.
Local residents have consistently resisted Andhra Pradesh’s efforts to organise elections and expand administrative activities in the region. Periodic face-offs have continued despite earlier interventions by the Odisha government.
Koraput Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan stated that the district administration remains on high alert. Senior officers have been stationed in the area to maintain close surveillance and avert any disturbance.
“Kotia is an integral part of Odisha. All required measures have been taken to safeguard it. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS are in force, and no Andhra Pradesh polling booth has been allowed in our territory,” the Collector said.
SP Rohit Verma informed that 16 police platoons, supported by senior officers, have been pressed into service to preserve law and order. Security has been further reinforced as the November 5 elections in Andhra Pradesh draw near, with officials monitoring the situation continuously to prevent any escalation.
