Kotia Dispute: SC Postpones Hearing On Odisha’s Contempt Plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) has postponed the hearing on the contempt petition filed by the Odisha government against Andhra Pradesh over the Kotia border dispute in Koraput district.

The SC will resume hearing on the plea after four weeks, saying that discussions were going on between the committees formed to resolve the dispute.

Last November, the SC had dismissed Andhra Pradesh’s plea for quashing the petition filed by Odisha, seeking contempt of court proceedings against its neighbour for violation of status quo in the disputed Kotia region.

The Andhra government had contended that the contempt proceedings should be disposed of as the states were heading towards a political solution.

Notably, the two states had decided to set up an institutional mechanism for cooperation to deliberate on outstanding issues and find out a solution that is in the best interests of the people of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh after the November 9 meeting between Naveen Patnaik and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.