Bhubaneswar, October 23: The Odisha government has initiated legal action against Andhra Pradesh over the neighbouring state’s notification for panchayat elections in the disputed Kotia region, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Thursday.

Pujari alleged that Andhra Pradesh had violated the Supreme Court’s status quo order on Kotia by announcing panchayat elections in the area. He said the Koraput Collector had initiated contempt proceedings against the Andhra Pradesh government, naming the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner, Chief Secretary, the concerned district Collector and other officials involved in conducting the elections.

“We will also pray to the Supreme Court to direct the Andhra government to refrain from such illegal activities,” the minister said.

The dispute over Kotia escalated in 2021 when Andhra Pradesh conducted panchayat elections in several contested villages, prompting Odisha to approach the Supreme Court through a contempt petition. The latest election notification covering villages such as Phagunasineri, Ganjeipadar and Phatusineri has once again brought the longstanding territorial dispute into focus.

Odisha has consistently maintained that Kotia is an integral part of the state. The government is pursuing legal remedies while taking administrative measures to monitor the situation through the district administration. It has also emphasised maintaining peace and continuing development initiatives in the disputed region.