Jayapur (Koraput): Tension flared in the disputed Kotia border region of Odisha’s Koraput district on Tuesday after police personnel from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh reportedly came face to face following the alleged removal of barricades erected by Odisha Police at a border checkpost.
The incident took place in Neridibalsa village, where Odisha Police had installed barricades as a security measure to maintain law and order amid growing tensions over Andhra Pradesh’s election-related activities in the Kotia region.
According to reports, Andhra Pradesh Police personnel allegedly dismantled the barricades, triggering a confrontation between police personnel from the two neighbouring states.
The situation further intensified when Andhra Pradesh Police personnel reportedly engaged in a heated exchange with the Koraput Sub-Collector and the Pattangi Tehsildar at the checkpost.
The incident created a tense atmosphere in the border region, which has witnessed recurring disputes between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over administrative control and developmental activities.
The latest confrontation comes a day after Odisha Police intercepted a rice-laden truck bearing an Andhra Pradesh registration number near the Neridibalsa checkpost.
Tensions had already been mounting over Andhra Pradesh’s attempts to proceed with election-related activities in Kotia, a region that has remained at the centre of a longstanding boundary dispute between the two states.
