Bhubaneswar: Amid renewed concern over Andhra Pradesh’s reported move to hold panchayat elections in the disputed Kotia cluster, Odisha govt has convened a meeting of its 16-member Kotia committee on Tuesday to review development initiatives and chart the next phase of intervention in the border region.The development comes even as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam wrote to Governor Braj Mohan Ram and chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking details of the committee’s recommendations and urging the state govt to engage with Andhra Pradesh to resolve the long-pending dispute.Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said the committee would take stock of development works carried out in the region over the past two years and review future plans.The panel was constituted in May 2025 following a meeting chaired by the chief minister. It comprises senior officials from the revenue, home, law, rural development and ST & SC development departments, besides the Koraput collector and SP. The committee has been tasked with recommending a special development agency for Kotia, assessing welfare schemes offered by Andhra Pradesh and suggesting measures for development and integration of the disputed villages.In his letters, Kadam, who represents Pottangi assembly constituency under which Kotia falls, sought a time-bound action plan to safeguard Odisha’s territorial interests. He said the protection of Odisha’s interests and the welfare of Kotia residents must remain a priority irrespective of political considerations.Stating that people deserve clarity on govt’s response to the latest developments, Kadam sought immediate engagement with Andhra Pradesh through appropriate legal and administrative channels, strengthening of Odisha’s administrative presence in Kotia, disclosure of the committee’s recommendations and their implementation status, and a high-level review involving concerned departments, district officials and elected representatives.He also urged govt to ensure regular visits by senior officials to the region and inform the public about the legal and administrative steps being taken to protect Odisha’s territorial interests.Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused BJP govt of adopting a reactive approach to the issue. “Whenever Andhra Pradesh takes a step in Kotia, the Odisha government responds with meetings and announcements. That is not a policy; it is damage control. The double-engine government has failed to present a concrete roadmap for Kotia’s development or a permanent resolution of the dispute. Protecting Odisha’s interests requires far greater urgency and political will,” Mohanty said.The dispute centres around 21 of Kotia’s 28 villages, which Andhra Pradesh claims on the strength of historical survey demarcations and pre-reorganisation revenue records, even though the entire cluster is administered by Odisha.
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