BHUBANESWAR: The Supreme Court on Friday served a notice to the Andhra Pradesh government to file its response on a writ petition filed by the Odisha government seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the neighbouring state for violation of status quo in the disputed Kotia region of Koraput district.
The apex court also fixed the next hearing in the matter on February 19, reports from Delhi said.
The Odisha government had on February 9 filed the petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to hold panchayat polls in the disputed Kotia cluster of villages that comes under the jurisdiction of Odisha’s Koraput district.
The Odisha government in its petition had mentioned that the Supreme Court in 1968 had ordered the maintenance of status quo in the disputed area. In its final hearing in 2006, the apex court had also upheld its earlier judgment while disposing of the suit.
The plea…