TN builds makeshift walls on AP border,dismantles in deference to public opinion

Temporary walls built on roads across the border with Andhra Pradesh at two remote checkpoints near here were dismantled on Monday after an inspection and in deference to public opinon, authorities here said.

The walls, made of concrete hollow blocks, were put up at Synagunda and Ponnai on the border with Andhra Pradesh to help prevent unauthorised arrival of people into Tamil Nadu.

Vellore District Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram who had earlier in the day said that the walls were mainly to check unauthorised entry of people into Tamil Nadu as part of measures to help prevent sread of coronavirus, later said, "we have removed it."

He, however, did not elaborate on the reasons for the removal of the walls.

 

Sources told PTI that when senior district officials today inspected the two checkpoints, the general public represented that the walls be removed since it may not serve any useful purpose and could lead to confusion.

Hence, it was decided that rather than closing the two roads completely, the situation could be handled even by keeping them open.Eventually the makeshift walls were removed.

Shanmuga Sundaram had said that in view of the nationwide curbs to help prevent spread of coronavirus, the governments of other states too do not allow people to travel anywhere.

Some people still get access to vehicles and use them to get into Tamil Nadu taking advantage of crossings tucked away in very remote locations like Synagunda, he told PTI.

"Since the chances of getting detected at the main border crossing is high, some people tend to use little noticed locations in remote places," he had said.

The District Collector, to a question, had asserted that the walls were a temporary arrangement and built without damaging the roads.

Though the move did not affect usual movement of vehicles carying essential commodities between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu since the main border crossing was open, the walls were dismantled considering public opinion, sources said.

Chittoor, which is also a district headquarters in Andhra Pradesh, is 37 km from here and Chittoor-Vellore is one of the busy inter-state highways.