The government of Odisha has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in order to prohibit public officials and agencies from the neighboring state from entering, trespassing, or otherwise interfering with the area’s governance.
The state administration requested that the disputed villages of Kotia be recognized as part of Odisha’s boundaries in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court. It went on to say that Odisha has the only right to own and administer the land. It requested an injunction prohibiting Andhra Pradesh and its officials from trespassing or interfering with Odisha’s future control and administration of the disputed territory.
Alleging regular incursions of Andhra Pradesh officials into disputed villages of Kotia panchayat in Koraput district, the Odisha government has sought the intervention of the Supreme Court for restraining the public servants and agencies of the neighboring state from intruding, trespassing, or in any way interfering with the administration of the area.
In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the State government made a prayer that the disputed villages of Kotia be declared part and parcel of Odisha and within its territory. Odisha has the absolute right to possess and administer the area, it added. It sought a decree of injunction seeking a restraint on Andhra Pradesh and its representatives from intruding or interfering in future in possession and administration of Odisha in the disputed area.
It stated that the AP government is consistently trying to encroach upon the villages in question which are an integral part of Odisha and the latter is undertaking various development work since its inception by giving additional attention. Over `150 crore worth of development works has been executed by the State government in the Kotia group of villages.
The affidavit further said that the adjacent district administration of Andhra Pradesh, however, is consistently attempting to conduct local body elections in the disputed villages and every time such moves have been opposed by the State. The Odisha government submitted that the disputed villages were included in Pottangi taluk of Koraput district in the 2011 Census of India.
Tax collection register of Pottangi gram panchayat in 1966 and land revenue collection receipts of Fagusinery and Patusineri villages in 1963-64, 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1968-69 also prove that the Odisha government is collecting land revenue and other taxes from the villages. Besides, the disputed areas are under judicial control of the subordinate judiciary of Odisha since inception. The State government had also established a police station at Kotia by bifurcating the Pottangi police station on February 28, 2009 to maintain law and order in the disputed villages.
This apart, the Revenue department has established offices of the sub-registrar under provisions of Indian Registration Act, 1908 to facilitate registrations of various documents, the affidavit said. Last year, the Odisha government deployed police and erected barricades at disputed Kotia gram panchayat after the AP administration attempted to launch several schemes in the area claimed by both states.
AP had said that Odisha’’s action was in clear violation of the Supreme Court directive to both sides to maintain the status quo. The dispute over the ownership of 21 of the 28 villages under Kotia panchayat had first reached the Supreme Court in 1968. In 2006, the apex court held that inter-state boundaries did not fall within its jurisdiction and only the Parliament could resolve them. The court imposed a permanent injunction on the disputed area.
Odisha’s arguments in an affidavit filed before SC
Odisha has the absolute right to possess and administer the area. The disputed villages should be declared as part of Odisha
The disputed villages were included in Pottangi taluk of Koraput district in the 2011 census of India
Odisha is collecting land revenue and other taxes from the villages.