Bhubaneswar: Andhra Pradesh's panchayat election notification covering villages in the long-disputed Kotia region has triggered a fresh row with Odisha, with the state government saying it will deploy officials to keep an eye on its neighbour's activities.
The Kotia cluster of villages in Koraput district has been claimed by both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for decades, and the two states have sparred repeatedly over administrative control and welfare delivery there. Andhra's move to include the area in its panchayat poll process revived the dispute.
The Odisha government said it would monitor Andhra's actions and take steps to protect its position. The opposition Biju Janata Dal demanded that the state act firmly to safeguard the interests of Kotia's residents.
BJD leaders said Odisha's interests in the Mahanadi water dispute and Kotia should be protected, and accused the ruling BJP of being soft in both matters. Party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged that the BJP's support for the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, had cost Odisha revenue from mineral-bearing land. The claims were made by the party and were not independently verified.
Odisha's government has maintained that Kotia is its territory. The recurring dispute has led to competing claims over development work and service delivery in the villages. Both states have approached the courts and the Centre on the issue in the past.
The BJD said it would keep raising the interests of Kotia's residents. The ruling BJP has not issued a detailed response to the party's allegations.
Officials in Odisha said the state would protect its administrative control over the villages.