Odisha Activist Reaches Andhra On Foot To Highlight Kotia Issue

Bhubaneswar: Activist and idol-maker Muktikanta Biswal, who had set off on an 800-km walk from Naveen Niwas here on Gandhi Jayanti seeking an amicable solution to the border disputes between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh arrived at Amaravati on Sunday.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy will visit Odisha on November 9 to discuss various inter-state issues.

Andhra Pradesh too stakes claim to the villages in Kotia region in Odissa, resulting in a territorial dispute between the two neighbours, which has led to tension.

“I came to know about the Kotia dispute from media. If the problem is not solved, there will always be friction between the two states. That is why I thought of following Gandhiji’s path of padyatra. Peaceful discussion between the two neighbours can solve the Kotia problem,” Biswal had said before embarking on his padyatra.

“If I can meet Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister, I will request him to solve the problem peacefully. I will also try to meet the chief minister of our state and request both of them to resolve the dispute,” he had said.

Earlier, Biswal had walked all the way to New Delhi from Rourkela to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up issues related to the Steel City.

He managed to cover about 1,350 km on foot before he fainted on the highway and was admitted to a hospital in Agra on June 27. When he recovered, he continued his journey. However, he failed to meet Modi and returned to Rourkela on July 8, 2018.