Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha minister Suresh Pujari Friday asked officials to prepare a roadmap for the overall development of the disputed Kotia region within one month.
Twenty-one of the 28 villages of the Kotia cluster are claimed by both Odisha and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, and a case over the dispute has been pending with the Supreme Court since 1968.
Pujari, the revenue and disaster management minister, affirmed that the Kotia cluster of villages in Koraput district is an integral part of Odisha and the state government would revive the legal fight in the apex court.
During the day, the minister held the first meeting of the 16-member high-level committee, especially constituted by the state government to ensure proper development of Kotia area.
“The Kotia dispute is more than 100 years old, it has been there since British Rule. We are seriously taking up the case and ensuring development of the people and winning their confidence,” he said.
“We are also in consultation with prominent lawyers to revive an old case in the Supreme Court. We lost ground in the past due to poor representation in the courts and lack of proper documentation,” Pujari said.
Due to the dispute, residents of Kotia get the best of both worlds since they have Aadhaar and ration cards issued by both states and receive the benefits of schemes announced by the two governments. They also vote in both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The minister also directed departments such as health, education, rural development, irrigation and panchayati raj to submit their respective action plans to prepare a roadmap within a month.
He also told the secretaries to focus on the economic, social, and cultural development of the area while making action plans.
They were also told to discuss with the Koraput district collector and prepare comprehensive plans for infrastructure development, market access for farmers, and employment opportunities for the youth of Kotia.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had constituted a high-level committee on Kotia to ensure integrated development of the area, covering infrastructure, economic upliftment, social welfare, and cultural enrichment.
