BHUBANESWAR: Even as the war of words between the ruling BJD and BJP has intensified over the Kotia issue, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Pramila Mallick on Monday demanded the Centre’s intervention for resolving the dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The minister said the Centre should convene a meeting between the two states and demarcate the boundary line to end the dispute. The Supreme Court had recently issued notices to Centre and both the state governments on the matter. “Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had visited Kotia on April 1. He should take the initiative to resolve the issue in the light of the notice issued by the Supreme Court,” she added.
Claiming that the Odisha government has undertaken a slew of development activities in Kotia panchayat of Koraput district, Malik said the state government has built roads, set up police station, made provision for power supply and drinking water in the area. “Even the road taken by the Union minister to reach Kotia has been built by the state government from its own resources,” she added.