Koraput: In a first, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh govt on Friday organised a health camp at the disputed Kotia gram panchayat headquarters under Pottangi block in Koraput district, triggering fresh tensions over the long-pending border dispute.District officials said that after receiving information about the camp, they rushed to the spot and asked the Andhra Pradesh team to leave the area. The team subsequently withdrew without any confrontation.“All development activities in Kotia are being taken care of by the Odisha govt. The district administration has undertaken several initiatives for the holistic development of the region. Sometimes Andhra officials sneak into the area to lure residents, but such activities have always been checked by the district administration,” said a senior official.The development assumed significance as Andhra Pradesh officials had earlier largely confined their welfare and administrative activities to villages located along the inter-state border but this time, a medical team conducted the health outreach programme in front of the panchayat office, according to local sources.The Kotia cluster has remained at the centre of a territorial dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for decades, with both states claiming administrative control over 21 of the 28 villages under the gram panchayat. The matter has been pending before the Supreme Court since 1968.The latest incident comes amid continuing attempts by Andhra Pradesh to expand its welfare and outreach activities in the Kotia region, often drawing protests from Odisha authorities and local organisations.
