Fresh tensions surfaced in the Odisha-Andhra border dispute after administrative officials from Andhra Pradesh reportedly visited villages under the disputed Kotia Gram Panchayat in Odisha’s Koraput district.
According to reports, Salur Tehsildar Suresh Babu from Andhra Pradesh’s Parvathipuram Manyam district, accompanied by Booth Level Officers, Anganwadi workers, BEO officials, and other government personnel, visited Upper Sembi, Lower Sembi, and Nedibalasa villages. The team allegedly went door-to-door to collect old Census-related forms and verify digitisation of previously collected Census data. Local representatives, including a former sarpanch, were also present.
Odisha had already completed its Census-related work in the region. However, Andhra Pradesh’s continued administrative activities in the disputed villages have reignited concerns over the decades-old boundary issue.
This is not the first such incident in recent months. On June 6, Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Tribal Welfare and Women & Child Development visited Nedibalasa village to inaugurate a road, sparking political and administrative controversy.
The latest visit is expected to escalate tensions between the two states over Kotia. Meanwhile, Odisha’s district administration has not yet issued an official response regarding the reported activities of Andhra Pradesh officials.
