Odisha to file Writ Petition in SC against Andhra’s Panchayat Poll conduct in Kotia villages

Odisha

Bhubaneswar, February 9: Odisha Government on Tuesday engaged Sibo Sankar Mishra, Advocate on Record (AOR) in Supreme Court to file writ petition before the Apex court challenging the notification of Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to hold panchayat election in three villages of Kotia in Koraput district.

“You are engaged to file Writ Petition before the Supreme Court of India challenging the notification of the State Election Commission, Andhra Pradesh to hold panchayat elections in three villages of Kotia which are within the territory of the State of Odisha, being the part and parcel thereof,” said State Law Department Deputy Secretary Bhagaban Nayak in a letter to Mishra.

Andhra Pradesh is scheduled to hold panchayat elections in three villages – Talaganjeipadar, Patusineri and Phagunseneri in Kotia gram panchayat on February 13.

Nominations have been filed for the post of Sarpanch and Ward Members from the three villages.

The dispute over these villages has been going on since 1953. The area under dispute is just north of the hills of Salur mandal involving 27 villages.

According to reports, Odisha has been claiming 21 villages out of 27 villages. Both States approached Supreme Court in 1968 claiming sovereignty over the villages. Fourteen years ago, the Supreme Court gave opinion that only Parliament could resolve the matter and directed two States to maintain status quo over the issue.

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