Speaker asks Home Dept to set up police station at Kotia

Odisha Assembly Speaker S N Patro on Thursday asked the state Home department to open a police station at Kotia cluster of villages in Koraput district as the people there depend on the nearby police station set up by the Andhra Pradesh government.

Patro said this after presiding a meeting of the House Committee on the border dispute of Odisha with neighbouring states.

"Since the Kutia area does not have a police station, the people of 21 villages take assistance of the nearby Andhra Police station. Therefore, Odisha government should open a police station there immediately," Patro told reporters.

The speaker said the House Committee has resolved and asked the state government not to shift or close down schools or offices in border area despite low enrolment of students and turn out of the people to offices.

Stating that discussion was held on the border disputes with neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, Patro said there are at least 96 border villages of Odisha where the neighbouring states claim to have their rights leading to a dispute.