Andhra Pradesh Claims Odisha Officials Obstructing Census Work in Kotia
Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani has urged CM N. Chandrababu Naidu to intervene after officials reported that Odisha authorities are blocking census data collection in the 21 disputed Kotia villages. Andhra Pradesh officials say Odisha blocking census collection in Kotia villages Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani has asked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to protect the people of the disputed Kotia villages, where Odisha officials have reportedly stopped Andhra Pradesh staff.
The Kotia village cluster remains one of India's most persistent interstate border disputes, originating from administrative disagreements dating back to the 1930s. Both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha maintain competing claims over these 21 villages, leading to overlapping social services, police presence, and school infrastructure.
The current friction centers on the 2027 Census. While the Supreme Court has previously ordered a status quo, the administrative reality on the ground remains volatile. Odisha officials reportedly prevented Andhra Pradesh staff from gathering enumeration data, stalling regional development planning. Because census data determines the allocation of central government funds and welfare benefits, the impasse risks disenfranchising residents who are caught between two sets of administrative authorities.
- Location: Kotia village cluster (border of Vizianagaram and Koraput)
- Number of Villages: 21
- Primary Conflict: Administrative overlap during 2027 Census operations
Glossary
Census: The decennial procedure for systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population.
Status Quo: A legal directive requiring parties to maintain the existing state of affairs until a final judicial resolution is reached.
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