Confusion prevails over restrictions to be imposed on Himachal borders in Una, Kangra districts
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, April 26
With the Himachal government going to restrict entry on state borders from Tuesday making e-registration for people coming in the state mandatory, utter confusion prevails among people of Kangra and Una districts that share borders with Punjab regarding new restrictions.
Many Himachal residents who are outside the state for personal or official purposes are clueless about what to do as the government has not even publicised procedures for registration and what to do.
Seema Sharma, a resident Una, while talking to The Tribune said she had gone to meet her brother in Chandigarh yesterday. “Now I have to return tomorrow and am clueless about what to do.”
Rakesh Sharma, a resident of Shahpur, had gone to Chandigarh for official meeting but would be required to get an RTPCR negative test report to re-enter the state.
Thousands of people, including traders, employees and others, daily cross borders from Una and Kangra districts. Last year when the state government had enforced the restrictions on state borders utter chaos was created on state borders. Huge traffic jams were seen at state borders and daily commuters even the state residents used to get harassed.
The deputy commissioner Kangra, Rakesh Prajapati when asked about the new restrictions said every person entering into state would have register at covidepass.hp.gov.in. A QR code would be generated after registration that would be scanned on state borders, he said.
He also said even Himachal residents who enter or exit state would have to register every time they enter or leave state. In case of people coming from hotspot areas they would have to produce RTPCR negative report to enter the state, the DC said.
He added that the commercial vehicles carrying essential commodities would be exempted from registration. When asked about people who work in industries across the state borders and have to commute daily, the DC said they would be allowed to go after inquiries.
The deputy commissioner said that main aim of the restrictions would be check the Himachal residents coming back to state from hotspot areas and ensure that they remain under home quarantined for at least 14 days or else they have to undergo RTPCR test.
Una DC Raghav Sharma, when contacted, said restriction here would be enforced from April 27 midnight. He said there was an option in e-portal to generate monthly pass.
The sources here said that the way government has implemented the new restrictions, it was bound to create confusion at state borders. Even the officials were not clear as to how the restrictions were to be imposed, till the filing of this report.
The Congress leaders from Kangra including former minister and AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma and former minister and senior congress leader GS Bali have termed the government measures as ill planned. They alleged since hardly any tourist was coming to state these days, these restrictions would only harass the residents of the state who have to go out of state for various purposes. The state was not being able to provide health care to residents here and so people go Punjab and Chandigarh for treatment. Instead of helping people the government was devising ways to harass people, Bali said.
