Congress Demands Special Development Board for Disputed Kotia Region in Odisha

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) demanded the creation of a Special Development Board to speed up welfare programs in the Kotia group of villages within Koraput district. OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das announced the demand during a press conference following a party delegation visit to assess conditions on the ground.

Background of the Dispute

The long-standing territorial dispute involves both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh claiming jurisdiction over 21 of the 28 villages in the Kotia Gram Panchayat. Tensions escalated after Andhra Pradesh announced plans to hold local polls in the area, prompting the Odisha government to file a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court against the Andhra Pradesh government.

• Territorial Claims: Odisha maintains the villages belong to its territory based on the historical formation of the province on April 1, 1936.
• Resource Richness: The disputed region contains valuable mineral resources, including bauxite, manganese, graphite, and gold.
• Dual Documentation: According to the OPCC status report, many residents in the 21 disputed villages hold official identity documents—such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and voter cards—from both States, enabling some to vote in both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh constituencies.

Key Demands and Allegations

OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das urged the Odisha government to take specific administrative actions:

• Establish a dedicated development board and announce a special financial package for Kotia.
• Deploy adequate Odisha police personnel in sensitive border villages to reinforce administrative presence.
• Accused both the Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party of neglecting the region and slowing development.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh officials have raised separate concerns, alleging that Odisha officials have blocked census collection efforts by Andhra staff in the Kotia villages. Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani reportedly asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to protect the residents of the disputed area.

Readers can verify official developments and court petitions through the Supreme Court of India records and official state government announcements from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.