Koraput: The Odisha government has initiated legal action in the Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh's election process in the disputed Kotia region, with the Koraput district administration taking measures to prevent any unauthorised activities in the area.

Responding to the issue, the Koraput Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan said a contempt of court case had been filed in the Supreme Court against Andhra Pradesh's election-related activities in Kotia, following directions from the state government.

Describing the election process as illegal, the administration said all necessary legal steps had been taken to protect Odisha's rights over the region.

As part of the preventive measures, prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed in the area. A team of senior officials, including the Sub-Collector, Additional Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), has been deployed to monitor the situation and prevent unauthorised activities.

The administration has also established check-posts at key entry and exit points, including Patuchenu, Phagunseneri and Neredibalsa, to maintain strict surveillance.

The district administration said it was working in coordination with local sarpanches, ward members, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) representatives and leaders of all political parties to safeguard Odisha's territorial integrity and rights over Kotia.

The latest developments come amid renewed tensions over Andhra Pradesh's attempts to conduct election-related activities in the border region, which has long been at the centre of a territorial dispute between the two states.

The Odisha administration has maintained that it is fully prepared to address the situation through legal and administrative measures.

The Kotia border dispute is a long-standing territorial conflict between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over 21 hill villages located in the Koraput district of Odisha.