Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court advised Tuesday the Governments of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh end the Kotia issue through bilateral discussions. An apex court bench comprising Justice Ajay Khanwilkar and Justice Sanjiv Khanna gave the two states a time frame of six weeks to end the contentious Kotia issue through political and administrative discussions.
Notably, in the wake of Andhra Pradesh government’s announcement to hold panchayat polls in disputed Kotia region of Koraput district, the Odisha government had sought the Supreme Court’s intervention February 10. The Odisha government had asked that contempt of court proceedings be initiated against AP government for meddling in Kotia region. The Odisha government had also prayed for speedy hearing of the case.
The state government in its petition categorically menti
Also read: AP vets hold checkup camp for livestock in Kotia panchayat
oned that the Supreme Court had ordered in 1968 to maintain status quo in the disputed area. It had also upheld the order in its final hearing in 2006.
In the recent past various activities like AP veterinary doctors holding check up camps for domestic animals in Kotia region, locals detaining babus from the neigbouring Andhra Pradesh government, Odisha government erecting fences to restrict AP officials who were to launch several schemes in Kotia region were reported from the region. The border disputes between the two states have been continuing for quite some time now.