Inter-State Border Row: Odisha To Set Up Police Station In Kotia

Bhubaneswar: Taking note of the frequent bid by the Andhra Pradesh government to acquire the Kotia panchayat having 21 cluster villages in Koraput district, the Odisha government has decided to set up a police station there.

A decision to this effect was taken at the State Assembly House Committee meeting presided over by the Speaker Surya Narayan Patro on Thursday.

Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, Patro said it was decided that the House Committee will ask the Home Department to set up a police station in Kotia. This will ensure that instead of going to Andhra Pradesh police, the villagers lodge their complaints with the Odisha Police.

“Apart from this, the offices and educational institutions situated in 5 km within the border area will not be closed and shifted. Rather they will be upgraded. Besides, the state government will take up management of the minor minerals in the bordering villages after a meeting with the Revenue Department,” the Speaker added.

Stating that the Supreme Court had asked Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to resolve the dispute on the 21 villages of Kotia panchayat in a proper forum, Patro said it is not clear as to what should be the forum for discussion between the two states.

He further said that apart from Koraput, the state government will bring into place special measures for 16 bordering villages in Gajapati district and 13 villages in Ganjam district. “ The House Committee has directed the Collectors of these two districts to take necessary measures for the development of roads and solve other problems of the people of these villages.

It is worthwhile here to mention that Odisha currently has disputes with Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh over the possession of 96 bordering villages.