States » EastPosted at: Oct 29 2026 8:26PM


Odisha Congress demands special development board, Package for Kotia

Bhubaneswar, Oct 29 (UNI) Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das has demanded that the state government immediately establish a dedicated development board and announce a special package for Kotia, citing gaps in basic amenities, social security benefits and administrative presence in the disputed border region.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday after a visit to Kotia in Koraput district, Das also called for adequate deployment of Odisha Police in sensitive border villages, improved banking facilities and timely delivery of government benefits to eligible residents.
A congress delegation team led by Das visited Ganjeipadar, Upper Sembi, Kotia and Neredibalsa villages on October 27 to assess the implementation of welfare schemes, availability of essential services and the administrative situation in the region. The delegation included Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Congress Legislature Party leader Ramachandra Kadam and other legislators.
According to the team's findings, residents face difficulties accessing banking services and government payments, often having to travel to the Pottangi block headquarters for routine transactions. The delegation called for permanent banking facilities in Kotia and measures to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive their entitlements on time.
The Congress urged the state government to verify the situation and strengthen its administrative presence in the border villages and called for verification of the schemes and measures to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is deprived of assistance.
Das also raised concerns over allegations that some residents possess identity documents and voter identification linked to both states and called for an impartial examination of the matter, while safeguarding eligible citizens' voting rights and access to public services.
Kotia, administered by Odisha's Koraput district under Pottangi block, has long been at the centre of a territorial dispute with Andhra Pradesh, which claims the area as part of its Salur administrative region.
The dispute has periodically intensified, including after Andhra Pradesh conducted local panchayat elections in some villages in 2021. Odisha challenged the move, and a subsequent case filed in the Supreme Court in January 2022 remains pending,Das said.
The party argued that the dispute required more than political statements, calling for village-specific development plans, improved infrastructure, stronger public outreach and legal measures to protect Odisha's position.
Das also called for an examination by constitutional experts of possible special administrative arrangements, including the relevance of Article 371 of the Constitution.
UNI DP
Tags: #Odisha Congress demands special development board# Package for Kotia
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