Bhubaneswar, Nov 3: Tension gripped the disputed Kotia border region of Odisha’s Koraput district on Tuesday after police personnel from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh reportedly came face to face over the alleged removal of barricades installed by Odisha Police at a border checkpost in Neridibalsa village.
According to reports, Odisha Police had erected the barricades as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order amid growing tensions over Andhra Pradesh’s election-related activities in the Kotia region. However, Andhra Pradesh Police personnel allegedly dismantled the barricades, triggering a face-off between police forces of the two neighbouring states.
The situation reportedly escalated further when Andhra Pradesh Police personnel entered into a heated exchange with Koraput Sub-Collector and Pattangi Tehsildar at the checkpost. The incident created an atmosphere of tension in the border village, raising concerns over the situation in the disputed region.
The latest confrontation comes a day after Odisha Police intercepted a rice-laden truck bearing an Andhra Pradesh registration number near the Neridibalsa checkpost. The incident had added to the growing tension in the area.
Kotia has remained a longstanding point of dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over territorial jurisdiction, administrative control and developmental activities. Both states have undertaken various administrative and welfare initiatives in the region.
Tensions have recently intensified over Andhra Pradesh’s reported attempts to proceed with election-related activities in Kotia. Tuesday’s incident has once again brought the sensitive border dispute into focus, highlighting the continuing challenges in maintaining administrative coordination and law and order in the region.
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