Odisha-AP Border Dispute: Andhra Holding Elections In Kotia Since 1952, AP Tells Supreme Court

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Andhra Pradesh authorities has submitted its response within the contempt plea filed by the Odisha authorities in opposition to the neighbouring state for alleged violation of established order within the disputed Kotia area of Koraput district stating that it has taken over sure villages belonging to Odisha.
After the Supreme Court served a discover to AP to file a response on this regard, the district Collector of Vizianagaram in AP, by way of the affidavit, said that there is no such thing as a query of contempt by Andhra Pradesh as no route was handed by the Court. “There was no direction that was passed by the Court. There is, therefore, no question of committing a contempt,” it talked about.
Andhra Pradesh has been persistently holding elections within the Ganjaybadra, Pattuchennuru and Paguluchennuru villages. The aforesaid villages presently fall beneath Araku Parliamentary Constituency and in Saluru Assembly Constituency in Andhra.
Elections have persistently been held to Lok Sabha and the State Assembly in these villages since 1952. So far because the native physique elections are involved, Andhra Pradesh has performed native physique elections in these three villages for the reason that inception of Panchayat Raj Act, maintained AP authorities within the affidavit.
The respondent additional submitted that even in 2006 and 2013, elections have been held to the Panchayats. The affidavit talked about the identify of the villages together with the elected Sarpanchs and the variety of voters in the course of the 2006 and 2013 polls.
The Andhra Pradesh authorities said it has been duly administrating its personal territories and has not infringed upon Odisha’s territory, and to be able to make its place clear, it has additionally shared paperwork to replicate that the areas fall inside the jurisdiction of AP and never Odisha.
The Apex Court has mounted the following listening to within the matter on February 19 (tomorrow).

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