Chennai: Periyar EVR Salai or Grand Western Trunk Road? Row over nameboard – Times of India

CHENNAI: The installation of boards bearing the name Grand Western Trunk Road, by the highways department on Periyar EVR Salai, also known as Poonamallee High Road, triggered a storm on social media and political circles.
The highways department maintained that Grand Western Trunk Road was the original name and it remained thus on their records. The nameboards were, however, vandalised by noon.
One of the three arterial roads in the city, Poonamallee High Road, was renamed by former chief minister M G Ramachandran, after social reformer and Dravidar Kazhagam founder, Periyar E V Ramasamy in 1979.
There was a huge outcry when the social media posts of the leaders and followers of Periyar went viral on the internet.
While some of the netizens mocked the state government for “being submissive to the BJP government at the Centre”, others endorsed it.
The signages that had cropped up recently near Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MG Ramachandran Central Railway Station and Ripon Buildings, the headquarters of Chennai Corporation, evoked outrage on social media on Tuesday.
DMK chief M K Stalin strongly condemned the highways department, a portfolio held by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
“Where did the caretaker government get the order to change the name? Doesn’t this amount to falling at the feet of their masters? Is this the game of fascist forces that tremble when they hear the name of Thanthai Periyar?” DMK president M K Stalin tweeted.
His post, along with photographs of the signages, urging the government to replace them immediately, and warning that a delay would result in an order being issued after May 2 (counting day), went viral.
MDMK leader Vaiko accused Palaniswami of implementing the orders of his ‘Delhi masters’ and “doing nothing about Chennai airport not bearing the names of leaders K Kamaraj and C N Annadurai anymore”.
The CPI executive committee and AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran too condemned the move.
The city roads division of the state highways department maintains a 186.25km long stretch in the city, including the ‘abandoned’ stretches of the national highways with unique codes.
This includes the 13.8kms of Grand Western Trunk Road, that is partly known as Periyar EVR Salai within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits.
A part of the 28kms of Grand Southern Trunk Road has been named Anna Salai. The 10.7kms of Grand Northern Trunk Road begins near Central Railway Station and ends at Moolakadai in the city limits.
“The highways department maintains these roads and even lays the storm water drains. The general public may not know this. The divisional office had installed these boards with an unintended error,” said a highway official.