Andhra Pradesh CM to visit Odisha on Nov 9 to discuss inter-state issues

BHUBANESWAR: Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Odisha on Tuesday to discuss various inter-state issues with his counterpart Naveen Patnaik.
Official sources in the chief minister’s office said that both the chief ministers are likely to take up the Kotia issue and border disputes in other districts between the two states during the meeting. Senior officials of both the states will attend the meeting which is likely to be held in State Convention Centre.
The Kotia gram panchayat under Pottangi block in Koraput district has 28 villages of which 21 are on disputed zone between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh since 1956. The Kotia border dispute issue had started after formation of Andhra Pradesh.
Though both the states approached the Supreme Court in 1968 over the border dispute, the apex court had ordered status quo in the case in 2006. The inter-state border dispute issued resurfaced after the Andhra Pradesh government conducted panchayat polls in three of the disputed villages—Talagaanjeipadar, Phatuseneri and Phagunaseneri by changing their names earlier this year.
In August this year, the Supreme Court had asked both the states to resolve the Kotia issue through bilateral discussions as both approached the apex court.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan had in September written to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister suggesting bilateral discussion with his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik for an amicable solution to the border dispute issues.
Both the states have also locked horns over other inter-state issues like Polavaram and Vansadhara river water dispute, which may also be taken up during the meeting.