Odisha state continues to have unresolved border disputes with Andhra Pradesh. Comment.

📝Model Answer

Introduction

Odisha, carved out of the Bengal-Bihar-Orissa Province on 1 April 1936, shares 14 of its 30 districts with four neighbouring states — Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. Among these, the dispute with Andhra Pradesh over the Kotia cluster of villages in Koraput district remains the most prominent and long-standing unresolved boundary issue.

Origin of the Dispute

1. Prior to 1936, the Kotia villages formed part of the Jeypore Estate under the undivided Vizagapatam district of the Madras Presidency.
2. With the creation of Odisha Province in 1936, parts of Vizagapatam district were transferred to the new state, but 21 of the 28 Kotia villages were never properly surveyed or demarcated.
3. When Andhra Pradesh was carved out in 1955, the same villages were again left unsurveyed by the new state.
4. Discovery of mineral resources (bauxite, graphite, manganese, gold, platinum, limestone) in the area later intensified both states’ claims.
5. Andhra Pradesh cites British-era notifications (1920s) and the Gilby Report (1943) delineating the villages as part of Salur taluk; Odisha maintains its administrative and revenue-collection continuity over the area.

Current Status of the Dispute

1. In 1968, Odisha filed Original Suit No. 10 of 1968 in the Supreme Court, seeking exclusive jurisdiction over the 21 villages.
2. In 2006, the Supreme Court held that inter-state boundary disputes fall outside its jurisdiction under Article 131, and directed both states to maintain status quo, leaving resolution to Parliament.
3. Despite the status quo order, both states continue parallel administrative interventions — Odisha has invested significantly in roads, schools, hostels, and welfare schemes (MGNREGA, BPL cards), while Andhra Pradesh has extended roads, electricity, and rations.
4. Andhra Pradesh has periodically conducted panchayat elections and census/verification exercises in the disputed villages (as recently as July 2026), repeatedly reigniting tensions.
5. Residents face confusion over civic identity — voting in both states’ Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, while lacking clarity on which state’s administration they ultimately fall under.
6. The Odisha Chief Minister has recently constituted a state-level committee, chaired by the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, to study the ground situation in Kotia and report back.

Way Forward

1. Parliament, as directed by the Supreme Court, needs to take up the matter for a conclusive resolution rather than leaving it in prolonged limbo.
2. A fresh, joint technical survey and demarcation exercise involving both state governments and the Survey of India.
3. Institutional mechanisms at the Chief Secretary level (as previously agreed between the two states) to manage day-to-day administrative overlap and prevent friction.
4. Priority focus on the welfare and development needs of border residents, delinked from the political optics of the dispute.
5. Use of Inter-State Council and Zonal Council platforms to build consensus and avoid unilateral administrative actions like poll announcements in disputed territory.

Conclusion