Supreme Court Dismisses Andhra’s Plea On Kotia Issue

Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition filed by Andhra Pradesh on the Kotia border dispute. The petitioners Kuneti Kusema prayed for an injunction order against the State of Odisha for conducting panchayat election and a series of consequential relief.

A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Suryakant disposed of the plea of the petitioner hearing the pleas of the Counsel employed by the Government of Odisha.

The petitioners claimed to be an elected representative of Andhra Pradesh in the panchayat samiti in Kotia and sought the injunction order while praying for declaring Kotia group of villages belonged to Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh government had conducted panchayat and Zilla Parishad elections at the Kotia group of villages in Odisha’s Koraput district. In the election, Kusema and a few others won the elections on behalf of Andhra Pradesh administration.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government declared rural body elections as part of legislation in the Kotia group of villages and set its own candidates for the Zilla Parishad elections in Fagunasineri and Fatusineri villages.

Terming the Odisha-sponsored panchayat elections illegal, Kuneti Kusema moved the Supreme Court and filed a petition praying to delegalise the panchayat election in the same territory.

At the same time, the petitioner had also prayed to establish the Kotia group of villages as part of Andhra Pradesh and provide statutory authorities on the land.

However, the Counsel for Odisha, Advocate on Record Sibo Sankar Mishra presented relevant papers before the bench revealing Odisha’s authority on Kotia.

Also Read: Relief To Odisha: SC To Hear State’s Original Petition On Kotia Dispute With Andhra