NILGIRIS: Nilgiris District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Taneeru has urged the Madras High Court to consider directing the police or another competent authority to take over the operational control and enforcement of the e-pass system, citing various concerns, including the safety of women members of self-help groups (SHGs) deployed to handle e-pass verification at checkposts.
The district collector, in a status report filed recently before a special division bench comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy, informed the court that several vehicles were entering the Nilgiris without valid e-passes. She also sought appropriate action, including penalties, against such vehicles.
The collector further proposed separating anti-plastic checks from the e-pass verification process and shifting them to the forest department checkpost at Kallar, located around 800 metres away. She suggested entrusting the responsibility to the forest staff of the Coimbatore Forest Division and implementing district forest officer (DFO), Coimbatore, for better coordination and effective implementation.
In view of the difficulties raised by the collector, the court directed the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to convene a meeting with the collectors of the neighbouring districts, as well as the Dindigul district collector, to ensure effective coordination and proper implementation of the court's directions.
After considering the status report, the bench directed the Tamil Nadu chief Secretary and other state-level officials to examine the grievances and practical difficulties highlighted by the Nilgiris collector in implementing the various orders of the court and take necessary steps to address them without further delay.
The court also directed the Nilgiris superintendent of police to deploy the required police personnel, with at least three personnel posted at each checkpost round the clock, and ensure adequate police protection
