Odisha-AP Border Dispute: Joint Demarcation Committee To Map Borders, Says CS

In order to arrive at a solution to the contentious border disputes between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, Chief Secretaries of both the states had a discussion through video conferencing on Tuesday. 

After the meeting, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra told reporters that a joint committee will be formed to find ways to end the long outstanding border disputes. A district level joint demarcation committee will demarcate the border. The committee will do this at a place which is clear with respect to map and litigation. 

The virtual meeting also featured topics like inter-state road communication, roads and teaching of Odia and Telugu languages in both states. 

Earlier, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had had a face-to-face meeting in Bhubaneswar on November 9, 2021. 

It was there the two leaders came to a consensus that the Chief Secretaries of the two states would set up an institutional mechanism to deliberate on issues, including the contentious Kotia border dispute, and find a solution. 

Notably, after the CM level meeting, both the governments had issued a joint statement. It had stated that the meeting between the two Chief Ministers was very cordial and fruitful. Besides Kotia border dispute, issues pertaining to Polavaram and Jhanjavati projects were also discussed.