Major Jolt to Andhra Pradesh as SC Refuses to Quash Contempt Petition Over Kotia Issue

Bhubaneswar: In a major jolt to Andhra Pradesh in the Kotia Gram Panchayat villages dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the Supreme Court today refused to squash the Contempt Petition filed by Odisha.

The apex court also deferred the hearing in the case to first week of January.
The Supreme Court observed that the two states must work out a political solution in the issue.

It also said that there is a serious breach of the status quo order passed by it.
Odisha had filed a contempt petition in the SC alleging the Andhra Pradesh had taken over certain villages belonging to it in violation of an earlier order of the Supreme Court.

Andhra Pradesh on its part said that, as the two states are trying to resolve the issue politically, the contempt petition should be squashed.

The court proceedings will remain pending and if amicable solution is reached between the states, the SC will proceed to see whether Andhra Pradesh has committed the contempt or not.

During today’s hearing, both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments placed their respective sides in the Apex Court.
Odisha has said the Court that the Chief Ministers of the two states had a meeting and a high level committee has been set up to in this regard.

Andhra Pradesh told the Court that the states are trying to solve the issue politically.

The Chief Ministers of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh had met at Bhubaneswar on November 9th and issued a joint statement to resolve the issues through formation of high level committees headed by the Chief Secretaries of both the states.