Bhubaneswar, Oct 21 (PTI) Amid a political slugfest between the BJP and the BJD in Odisha over neighbouring Andhra Pradesh holding rural polls in disputed Kotia villages, former Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday stressed the need to create a cordial atmosphere and resolve the issue through negotiations.
The decades-long territorial dispute over Kotia villages, nestled in the picturesque hills of the Eastern Ghats along the border of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, often comes to the fore during elections.
With territorial rights being claimed by both the states, the matter is currently before the Supreme Court. People of these villages enjoy dual voting status, granting them the unique privilege of exercising their franchise in both states.
Taking to X, Pradhan said, “We all know how important Kotia is for Odisha and the Odia people. Kotia is the identity of Odisha’s sovereignty and indivisibility. The long-standing border dispute over Kotia is certainly a matter of concern for Odias. Regardless of party affiliations, there is a need to come together for Odisha’s interests and find a collective solution.”
The BJP MP also said it is important for politicians to take responsibility for resolving the problems in this region.
“Through dialogue, we must create a friendly atmosphere and pave the way for a solution,” Pradhan said, adding that the sacrifices and contributions of many eminent sons of the soil to protect Odisha’s geographical boundaries will not go in vain.
“Our fight for Odia identity will continue. Protecting Odisha’s unity and indivisibility is our collective responsibility,” he said.
The issue came to the fore two days ago when BJD president Naveen Patnaik wrote a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking to know what measures the state’s ‘double engine’ government has taken to resolve the territorial dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Patnaik also questioned whether the state government remains silent because the NDA government at the Centre survives on the support of the TDP, which is in power in Andhra Pradesh.
The Odisha government also hit back at the BJD chief, asking him what the BJD dispensation had been doing to resolve the issue during its 24-year tenure in the state.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari directly blamed Patnaik for the Kotia dispute.
Of 28 villages under the Kotia Gram Panchayat in Odisha’s Koraput district, Andhra Pradesh continues to claim that 21 belong to its territory.
The claim had been made since British rule, following which a case was filed in the Supreme Court in 1968. The apex court, in 2006, asked both states to maintain the status quo and observed that the inter-state boundary dispute was best resolved by Parliament under Article 131 of the Constitution.
The Odisha government had in 2022 filed a contempt of court petition against Andhra Pradesh after it held the rural polls in Kotia villages in 2021.
“As the Andhra Pradesh government does not abide by the Supreme Court’s order, the Odisha government is preparing to file another petition in the apex court,” a senior revenue department official in Koraput district said.
Pujari spoke to the Koraput district collector via video conferencing, took stock of the situation and issued directions to safeguard the state’s interests.
He also spoke to Advocate General Pitambar Acharya and sought his counsel on taking appropriate legal measures.
Pujari emphasised the need to expedite the necessary legal steps to resolve the dispute and to strengthen Odisha’s administrative presence in the border region.
“Our priority is to safeguard the state’s legal rights and interests, while simultaneously maintaining peace, stability, and public trust in the Kotia region. The state government is working with firm commitment to take all necessary and appropriate measures to reach a swift and permanent resolution to this long-standing dispute,” he said.
Meanwhile, the slugfest between the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD was aggravated by both uploading animated videos on social media platforms blaming each other over the Kotia dispute. PTI AAM AAM BDC
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