Border Tensions Rise After Kerala Officials Install Welcome Signboard Inside Disputed Nilgiris Tamil Nadu Territory

Chennai: Tension prevailed along the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border at Thaloor in the Nilgiris district on Friday after officials from Kerala were accused of installing a “Welcome to Kerala” signboard within the district’s limits.

Nilgiris District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Taneeru said she had spoken to the Wayanad District Collector and conveyed that status quo must be maintained until the Departments of Survey and Settlement in both States examine the issue and issue directions. She added that she had been informed that the newly erected signboard would be removed until the survey is conducted.

“We have asked them to remove it. If they do not do so, we will take further action,” Taneeru told journalists.

According to officials, personnel from the Kerala Public Works Department erected the new signboard on Thursday evening. The move triggered objections from local residents and political outfits, who claimed that the board had been placed within the Tamil Nadu boundary.

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Following the objections, police presence was increased on both sides of the inter-State border and discussions between officials of the two States are under way.

Residents alleged that the newly installed signboard encroaches into Tamil Nadu territory despite protests from people in the area.

Officials said the land where the signboard has been placed is under dispute between the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments, with the issue remaining unresolved since 2017.