Kotia, June 28: In a historic moment for the border village of Kotia in Odisha’s Koraput district, the annual Rath Yatra is being celebrated today with unprecedented grandeur and official participation.

For the first time since the formation of the double-engine government in the state, five senior ministers of the Odisha government have joined the festivities, marking a significant gesture of inclusion and outreach.

Arriving via Jeypore Airport from Bhubaneswar, the ministerial delegation includes Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, and Fisheries & Animal Resources Minister Gokulananda Mallik.

Their presence underscores the state government’s renewed commitment to strengthening ties with the people of Kotia, a region that has long been at the center of a border dispute with neighboring Andhra Pradesh. The ministers are expected to participate in the ceremonial chariot pulling, interact with local residents, and review ongoing development initiatives.

The celebration in Kotia, held a day after the grand Rath Yatra in Puri, is not only a spiritual event but also a symbolic assertion of Odisha’s cultural and administrative presence in the region.

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