Police announce traffic diversions ahead of T.N. Governor’s visit to Kodaikanal; CPI(M) opposes move

Former Dindigul MLA K. Balabharathi said the move to close traffic along the Batlagundu-Kodaikanal ghat section for several hours during the Governor’s visit would adversely affect farmers, daily-wage earners and tourists as well

The Dindigul district police have announced traffic diversions for vehicles along the Batlagundu-Kodaikanal ghat section, in view of the visit of Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi from May 14 to 16.

A press release stated that the Governor is scheduled to visit the hill station on May 14. Hence, from 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., vehicles proceeding from Batlagundu to Kodaikanal shall not be permitted. Similarly, the Governor is expected to return on May 16 and vehicles shall not be permitted to ply on the route from 9 a.m. to noon.

As an alternative, vehicles bound to the hill station can take the Palani-Perumalmalai ghat section at these times, the release stated.

Reacting to the police announcement, CPI (M) senior leader and former Dindigul MLA K. Balabharathi strongly condemned the move and demanded that the police withdraw these diversions. Apart from tourists, farmers and other daily-wage earners would be affected as they would not be able to transport their essential goods from both ends. The Governor should not encourage such acts by the police and understand the plight of the common man, she said.

Moreover, when many Ministers and other VVIPs including the T.N. Chief Minister and other Central Ministers visited the hill station, the police had not stopped the general public from proceeding along the Batlagundu ghat section, she said. She also asked whether the police were incapable of giving security to the Governor [without these diversions] and said that the CPI (M) would stage demonstration to express its protest.

Some of the hoteliers, taxi operators and resort owners in the hill station also expressed concern over the “sudden” announcement of the Dindigul Police about the diversion. “With the summer season at its peak, the closure of an important ghat section for the general public would result in a chaos,” a hotelier in Kodaikanal said.

However, a senior official in the district said that they had taken the decision to close traffic for just a few hours and had provided an alternative route to reach the hill station.

Governor’s programme

According to officials in Dindigul district, the Governor R. N. Ravi would arrive by a scheduled airline from Chennai to the Madurai airport on May 14, and proceed to Kodaikanal by road.

In view of the visit, the DIG of Police (Dindigul Range) Abhinav Kumar, Superintendents of Police, V Baskaran and Dongare Pravin Umesh, two ASPs, 10 DSPs and 500 police personnel would be on bandobust duty. The BDDS (Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad) and sniffer dogs are also being deployed at vantage locations on the ghat section and at the Governor’s place of stay.

The Governor is expected to address a seminar at Mother Teresa Women’s University in Kodaikanal on Monday, officials added.