Kodaikanal traders stage protest demanding that TN govt lift ban on entry of tourists

DINDIGUL: Demanding that the state government lift the ban imposed on the entry of tourists in Kodaikanal, traders belonging to the hill station staged a protest at Moonjikal here on Monday morning.

In view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday extended the lockdown restrictions and imposed a night lockdown in the state. In addition to this, the government also banned the entry of visitors at major tourist spots like Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud.

Aggrieved by the announcement, hundreds of traders in Kodaikanal are staging a protest demanding that the government lift the ban.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, a traders’ association secretary Sheikh Abdullah said, “We entirely depend on tourists for our livelihood. We already struggled a lot to make ends meet during the total lockdown last year and have barely recovered from it. But the government has once again closed tourist places citing the pandemic, leaving us in the lurch.”

Stating that their livelihood would be destroyed by the move, he demanded that the government permit tourists to visit Kodaikanal with reasonable restrictions.

Revenue officials have reached the spot and are holding talks with the protesters.