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Published - October 30, 2026 04:25 am IST - BHUBANESWAR

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Thursday (October 29, 2026) demanded the establishment of a Special Development Board for expediting implementation of welfare programmes in Kotia group of villages in Koraput district.

The dispute over Kotia group of villages blew up after Andhra Pradesh announced to hold local polls there. Both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been claiming Koita to be their jurisdiction.

“The State government must immediately establish a dedicated development board for the overall development of Kotia and announce a special package. The government must also deploy adequate Odisha police personnel in sensitive border villages and reinforce the government’s administrative presence,” OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das said addressing a press conference here.

Mr. Das had led a Congress delegation to Koita to assess the ground situation. He accused both the Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party of neglecting the region, as the pace of development reportedly slowed down in the region.

Stating that the Kotia group villages belonged to Odisha as the British government carved out the province of Odisha from the Madras Presidency on a linguistic basis on April 1, 1936, much before the formation of Andhra Pradesh, the OPCC president alleged, “as the region is rich in mineral resources, including bauxite, manganese, graphite and even gold, the Andhra Pradesh government is aggressively competing to win over the local tribal population through competing welfare schemes.”

“Most residents of the 21 disputed villages possess official identity documents from both States — two Aadhaar cards, two ration cards and two voter identity cards, one issued in Odisha and the other in Andhra Pradesh. During major elections, residents reportedly cast their votes twice - once for Odisha’s Pottangi constituency and again for Andhra Pradesh’s Salur constituency,” Mr. Das said presenting status report.

“Kotia is not merely a forested region rich in natural resources; it is a symbol of Odisha’s pride and identity. Like Deomali, the region also offers immense tourism potential. Kotia belongs to us. This is the undeniable truth,” he asserted.

Published - October 30, 2026 04:25 am IST

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