Odisha govt reviews development works in disputed Kotia area

Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty on Wednesday took stock of the ongoing development activities being carried out in Kotia area in Koraput district.

The Odisha government has a border dispute with Andhra Pradesh in Kotia area.

The government reviewed the situation three days after Koraput Collector Anupam Shah and Pottangi MLA Prafulla Kumar Pangi visited the disputed Kotia panchayat.

Almost 20 days after Andhra Pradesh government launched ‘Janmabhoomi’ programme at Talaganjaipadar village in Kotia gram panchayat, Koraput Collector and Pottangi MLA visited Kotia panchayat and reviewed the developmental works on Sunday.

They held a discussion with the locals of the Kotia panchayat located at the Odisha -Andhra Pradesh border.

On January 9, Vizianagaram collector Vivek Yadav and former Salur MLA RP Bhanja Deo visited Talaganjeipadar village in Kotia panchayat limit and distributed blankets and pensions to 65 beneficiaries as part of the Janmabhoomi programme.

Meanwhile, Southco officials started replacing the power transformer which was lying defunct for the past one year in Kurudipadar and electrified the village while the block level officials have already started laying of the road from Sembi to Kotia. Bus service to Kotia has also been launched.

Kotia Panchayat has 28 villages of which, 21 villages are on disputed zone between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.