Koraput: BJP leader and Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan is scheduled to visit the disputed Kotia villages, to which both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments lay claim, in Pottangi block here on Monday to take stock of the situation.

BJP sources said the Union minister would interact with the residents of Kotia.

"Kotia is an integral part of Odisha. While no minister from the state government has visited Kotia, Pradhan is visiting the area. It has generated great hope among the local tribal residents. He may declare some special projects for the development of Kotia," said former BJP leader and Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi.

Kotia residents are mostly people belonging to Kondh tribe and they eke out a living by doing minor cultivation on the hill slopes.

Kotia has been in headlines for the past few months after a team of Andhra Pradesh government, including the district collector of Vizianagaram, visited few villages in Kotia panchayat and launched their welfare programmes and distributed old-age pensions to few beneficiaries in January.

Since then, Andhra officials have been frequently visiting Kotia and have undertaken few road projects at the disputed villages.

The Odisha government has been regularly objecting to the visit of the Andhra officials, but to no avail. On Friday, the Odisha government prepared an action plan worth Rs 150 crore for overall development of Kotia.

Both the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments have been entangled in a legal battle over the ownership of 21 of the 28 villages of Kotia panchayat since 1968.

The Supreme Court had in 2006 ordered both the governments to maintain status quo.

In past three months, officials of Andhra government had toured several times to Kotia to implement various welfare programmes.