In an attempt to regulate the entry and exit of vehicles between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the Vellore district administration has erected walls in two important checkpoints between the states. However, both these walls were removed on Monday after controversy erupted around its purpose.
According to reports, the walls, varying between three and five feet in height, have been built in Sainagunta and Ponnai checkpoints following orders issued by the Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundaram on Saturday.
According to the order, vehicles, including two-wheelers, will not be allowed through these points. However, four other checkposts are open between the two states at Paradarami, Christianpet, Bathalapalli and Serkadu, through which the vehicles will be rerouted after a thorough screening. Vehicles approaching Sainagunta will be diverted via the Paradarami checkpost and those approaching the Ponnai checkpost will be rerouted through Christianpet or Serkadu checkpost.
The construction of these walls began on Sunday.
Speaking to PTI, the district collector said that sealing the borders will stop people from taking advantage of the ‘porous borders’ between the two states.
“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 pointed out, adding the effort was aimed at preventing unauthorised entry or exit.
When questioned if the decision to build walls across the roads would affect usual movement of vehicles between the two states, he said, “The normal traffic is not affected and the main border with Andhra Pradesh (on the Chittoor Road) is open as usual and that checkpost has all infrastructure to screen people.” He said that additional personnel have been posted to check the entry of people in the other porous border crossings in the district.
Medical camps have been set up at the four open checkposts, where people entering Tamil Nadu will be screened and tested based on the set protocol. Those whose samples are collected will be made to stay in the government facilitation centres till their results arrive. They will be allowed to proceed further into the state only if their results come back negative.
Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh shares borders with Krishnagiri, Vellore and Tiruvallur districts in Tamil Nadu. The decision to close the borders has raised eyebrows since the roads are frequently used by people from Andhra Pradesh who routinely visit the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore for non-COVID-19 medical treatment.
(With inputs from PTI)