NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked Andhra Pradesh to file its response on the allegation levelled by its neighbouring state Odisha that it had encroached upon the latter’s territory in violation of the apex court’s order.
A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar asked the Odisha government to provide a copy of its contempt petition to the standing counsel of Andhra Pradesh and posted the case for February 19.
In its petition, the Odisha government contended that Andhra Pradesh was acting in violation of the SC order by conducting an election in its territory by roping three villages under Koraput district of Odisha into Salur mandal of Vizianagaram district (AP).
It said the three villages were under the administrative control of Odisha and urged the SC to initiate contempt proceedings against the authorities of Andhra Pradesh, including Vizianagaram district magistrate Muda Hari Jawaharlal.
“The said notification issued by contemnor 1 (the district magistrate of Vizianagaram district), in unison with contemnors 2 (chief secretary of the state) and 3 (State Election Commission) is to invade into the territory of petitioner state at the cost of wilful violation of this court’s order,” the Odisha government’s petition said.
“In the notification, the contemnors deliberately roped in three villages from ‘Kotia group of villages’ falling under the territory of Koraput district of Odisha into Salur mandal of Vizianagaram district. Clandestinely, the contemnors changed the name of the three villages of Kotia gram panchayat,” it added.