Chief Secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan on Monday said he would submit a report to the government on steps for the smooth flow of traffic through the Walayar check-post on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
He earlier visited the check-posts of various departments and held discussions with officials.
“The priority is to solve traffic snarls and expedite clearing of goods vehicles by constructing an integrated check-post at Walayar. An integrated check-post cannot function with existing facilities as it will create more traffic bottlenecks,” Mr. Bhushan said.
He said the inter-State check-post required better infrastructure. A proposal for the integrated check-post in 30 acres was held up due to a case pending in the High Court on land acquisition.
The Chief Secretary held discussions with the officials of the departments of Commercial Taxes, Excise, Motor Vehicles, Forest, National Highway, Public Works, Animal Husbandry, and Police.
He visited the check-posts of the Motor Vehicles Department, Excise, Forest, Animal Husbandry, Commercial Taxes and the ‘green channel’ for the smooth passage of public and transport vehicles.
Traffic blocks in the green channel posed hardships not only to passengers but also to patients being taken in ambulances to super-specialty hospitals in Coimbatore. Traffic snarls had resulted in the suspension of bus services between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on many occasions.
Truck owners’ decision
Now, the All India Truck Owners Association has decided to stop sending goods vehicles through Walayar from next week.
Shortage of staff at the Commercial Taxes, Motor Vehicles and Excise check-posts has been blamed for the delay in clearing vehicles at Walayar, which often resulted in traffic jams.
The Chief Secretary was accompanied by Commissioner of Commercial Taxes Raveendra Agarwal, Excise Commissioner X. Anil, Collector P.M. Ali Asgar Pasha,
District Superintendent of Police Rajpal Meena, Deputy Transport Commissioner P.K. Stephen, Inspecting Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes K. Suresh, Regional Transport Officer Mohammed Najeeb, among others.
Meanwhile, land owners who obtained a stay from the High Court against acquiring their farmland and a five-acre pond for the proposed integrated check-post submitted a memorandum to the Chief Secretary requesting him to consider acquiring fallow land available just behind the existing check-post.
The memorandum signed by V. Ravikumar and six others said nearly 20 farmers and 40 small traders would have to be evicted again if the present proposal was implemented.
