Bhubaneswar, May 23 (UNI) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday welcomed

the Odisha government’s decision to form a committee aimed at finding a permanent solution to the issues concerning the Kotia villages.

"Kotia is an integral part of Odisha, and our sentiments are deeply connected with the people of Kotia," Pradhan stated on his X handle.

The Odisha government has constituted a 16-member committee, chaired by the Revenue Minister, to address the longstanding problems of the Kotia villages in Koraput district. The committee will also work to ensure that the residents benefit from various Central and State Government schemes.

Thanking Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for taking this initiative, Pradhan said, "I had earlier visited Kotia with a firm resolve to safeguard the geographical and cultural integrity of Odisha."

He added that he had repeatedly written to the former Chief Ministers of both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, urging a permanent and amicable resolution to the Kotia issue.

"Despite numerous appeals, the previous government failed to address the matter," Pradhan stated.

With the new initiative undertaken by the state government, Pradhan expressed hope that the local population will now benefit from multiple welfare schemes under the "Double Engine Government."

He further emphasized that Odisha’s language, culture, identity, literature, traditions, and festivals would be preserved and promoted, and the state’s geographical boundaries protected.

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