Kotia Row: Odisha Govt Takes Legal Help From Former SC Justice

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has taken legal assistance from former Supreme Court Justice Ananga Kumar Patnaik on border dispute with the Andhra Pradesh government which conducted panchayat elections in three villages of Kotia panchayat in Koraput district recently.

Following a request by Advocate General of Odisha Ashok Parija, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Bishnupada Sethi in a letter has directed Koraput collector Abdaal Muhammed Akhtar to discuss the matter with all relevant documents with Justice Patnaik.

Also Read: Kotia Row: Odisha Seeks 4 Weeks To Counter AP’s Claim

Notably, protesting the decision of the Andhra Pradesh government to hold the panchayat election in three villages — Talaganjeipadar, Phatuseneri and Phagunaseneri — of Kotia panchayat on February 13, the Odisha government had filed a writ petition in the apex court on February 10.

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In a writ petition filed on behalf of Odisha, SC’s Advocate on Record (AOR) Sibo Sankar Mishra mentioned that as the Supreme Court had ordered to maintain the status quo in the disputed border area of Kotia in 1968, the hearing of the contempt of court proceedings against Andhra Pradesh should be taken up expeditiously.

Also Read: SC Accepts Odisha’s Petition Against Andhra Pradesh On Kotia Polls