Odisha to Explore Legal Options to Protect Its Interests in Kotia Dispute with Andhra Pradesh

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is exploring legal options to protect the state’s interests in the long-standing Kotia dispute with Andhra Pradesh, with a comprehensive administrative roadmap already prepared to pursue the matter.

“Whatever options are available to safeguard Odisha’s interests will be implemented in the coming days. A political battle may also be necessary, but this is not a new issue. More than five decades of struggle have yielded limited results. In view of the changing circumstances, we are examining the possibility of pursuing the matter through judicial proceedings,” the statement said.

Emphasising that the issue concerns the interests of the entire state, the government said it should not be viewed as the concern of any particular political party. It expressed readiness to bring all political parties together to fight for Odisha’s interests against Andhra Pradesh. The government also indicated that a roadmap for administrative-level action had been prepared, while noting that all strategic details could not be made public.

On the legal front, the original suit filed by the Odisha government was dismissed in 2006. However, the Supreme Court had directed the maintenance of the status quo. In 2022, the then state government filed a contempt petition after Andhra Pradesh allegedly attempted to conduct elections in an area of Kotia. However, the contempt proceedings did not make significant progress.

The statement also highlighted the contrasting voter turnout in the region. During the election conducted by Andhra Pradesh in 2022, only around 12–13 per cent of voters reportedly participated. In contrast, the voter turnout stood at 87 per cent during the panchayat elections conducted by the Odisha government in Kotia.

A meeting on the issue is scheduled to be held at Lok Seva Bhavan, where further discussions on the state’s strategy are expected to take place.