Koraput Collector visits Kotia ahead of elections, conducts awareness drive

Koraput district administration seemed to have buckled up for the conduct of crucial elections 2024 in the district, especially the disputed area of Kotia Panchayat.

District Collector V Keerthi Vasan visited Kotia Panchayat on Tuesday and held public meetings at Madkar, Ganjeipadar and Kotia villages.

As per reports, Vasan called upon the locals to gather in numbers and exercise their voting rights in the upcoming elections.

“We all know that elections are scheduled to be held in Koraput district on May 13. So we have started activities and awareness drives in all blocks of the district. These activities aim to increase the polling numbers in the district. We want more voters to exercise their franchise,” Vasan said while speaking to reporters on his visit.

It is pertinent to mention here that Koraput district along with other districts of the state will go to polls on May 13. The polling for both Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha will be held on May 13 in Koraput.

The neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh is scheduled to go to polls on the same date. If reports are to be believed, Andhra is trying to conduct its Assembly polls in Kotia as well. So in such a situation, the Koraput Collector’s visit to Kotia assumes much significance.

Notably, in a bid to stamp Andhra Pradesh’s authority in the disputed Kotia region, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of bordering Manyam district in Andhra Pradesh visited the area with his team on March 2. He held discussions with the local youths.

Andhra Police had recently organised a mega Jansampark Abhiyan (public relations camp) at Neridivalsa under Kotia Panchayat too. They distributed umbrellas, ration cards, volleyball kits among the people of the region during the camp.