Kotia Border Issue: Dharmendra Pradhan Calls for United Push to Protect Odisha’s Borders

21 Oct 2026, 11:36 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Bhubaneswar: Political leaders from all parties must join hands to permanently solve the long-running border dispute in Kotia, Sambalpur MP and former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday.

Protecting Odisha’s land, unity, and identity is a shared duty that goes beyond party lines, Pradhan noted. He pointed out that Kotia matters deeply to the people of Odisha, and leaving the conflict unsettled continues to cause serious worry.

To end the deadlock, top leaders need to sit down for friendly, direct talks to create the right atmosphere for peace.

Pradhan reminded leaders of the state’s history and the leaders who fought to protect its borders. He spoke about the work and sacrifices of Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, Byasa Kabi Fakir Mohan Senapati, Swabhaba Kabi Gangadhar Meher, and Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo of Paralakhemundi, adding that their efforts must never go to waste.

Protecting Odia pride and identity remains an ongoing effort, he said.

Pradhan has visited Kotia village three times to see the problems in person—first in April 2018, again in February 2019, and most recently in April 2023.

Following continuous actions by Andhra Pradesh in the area, he reached out to the leaders of both states to push for a fix. He sent letters to Naveen Patnaik, who was the chief minister of Odisha at the time, on November 18, 2020, and October 31, 2022.

He also wrote to the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh at the time, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on September 22, 2021, asking him to help bring an end to the dispute.