TN Revenue officials taking essentials to tribal families

THENI: Tamil Nadu Revenue Department officials taking essentials to tribal families at Top Station and Central Station were reportedly denied entry to Kerala by Kerala checkpost officials at the interstate border here on Sunday. The Tamil Nadu officials later had to take the supplies using horses through a forest route on Monday. Eighty tribal families lived at the hill villages in Top Station and Central Station near Kolukkumalai, sources said. The two hamlets are located 13 kilometres from Kurangani. According to sources, the revenue officials were trying to reach the hamlets via Munnar and Mattupatti road, travelling 50 kilometres from Bodi Mettu. However, officials at a checkpost in Bodi Mettu stopped the lorries carrying the supplies. The checkpost officials reportedly told the revenue officials to obtain permission from the Idukki district collector to cross the border. Attempts to contact the collector, however, was futile, and the revenue officials had to return to Bodi. Later, the officials used 11 horses from Kurangani to take the essentials to the hamlets.