Bhubaneswar/Koraput: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das Friday strongly condemned the issuance of a notification for panchayat elections in the Kotia region in Koraput district of Odisha by the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, demanding the Odisha government take immediate steps to stop the interference of the neighbouring state.
PCC president Das demanded the withdrawal of Andhra Pradesh’s notification for panchayat elections in the Kotia region, asserting that the move amounted to interference in Odisha’s territory.
Das strongly criticised the BJP government in Odisha for remaining silent on the issue.
Alleging that Andhra Pradesh has repeatedly been intervening in the region and disrupting Odisha’s administrative system, Das said the state government should have acted immediately after the notification was issued.
“The Odisha government should have reacted as soon as Andhra’s notification was issued and taken immediate steps to stop it. Why is the BJP, which came to power invoking Odia pride and identity, silent on this issue?” said Das.
He expressed concern that the government had failed to understand the intentions behind Andhra Pradesh’s distribution of pensions and other welfare benefits to people in the region.
Das said the Congress will not tolerate what it described as a constitutional violation by the Andhra Pradesh government. He urged the Odisha government to coordinate with the Centre and take strong legal and administrative measures to protect the state’s territory.
The OPCC president demanded that the Chief Minister or the Revenue Minister immediately hold discussions with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the Union Home Minister to address the issue.
He also called for the Centre’s intervention to find a permanent solution to the Kotia boundary dispute and prevent repeated interference by Andhra Pradesh.
Reiterating that Kotia was an integral part of Odisha, Das said the Congress would continue to stand with the people of the state to protect its territorial integrity.
IANS
