Karnataka: HD Kote, Chamarajanagar roads to Kerala open; legislators plan to move SC

MYSURU: Movement of essential commodities from Karnataka to Kerala began on Thursday, with the checkposts at Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar and HD Kote in Mysuru district allowing vehicles and crew to pass after medical examination. Legislators opposing the decision said they will move the Supreme Court to prevent spread of Covid-19 from neighbouring Kerala.
On Wednesday, Kerala high court ordered the Centre to get the blockades on national highways connecting the two states removed to allow vehicles carrying patients.The order came on a public interest litigation seeking opening of the roads connecting Kasaragod in Kerala and Mangaluru in Karnataka, which had been closed by Karnataka in view of the lockdown to check the Covid-19 outbreak.
On March 27, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising the issue of blockade of the Thalassery-Kodagu state highway, saying essential supplies were not reaching his state during lockdown.
Border villages in Kodagu had enforced the blockades following a spate of coronavirus cases in Kerala's Kasaragod and Kannur districts. "The border areas were closed by the people as they are wary of contracting the infection from the worst-hit districts. They want to be safe and there is nothing wrong with that," said BJP's Virajpet MLA and former speaker KG Bopaiah. He added: "There is no reason for the state to allow traffic between Kerala and Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts. This will cause panic among the people in border areas. We will approach the apex court..."
Mysuru DC Abhiram G Sankar said only goods vehicles were being allowed to pass. "We never closed the road for goods vehicles," said Chamarajanagar DC MR Ravi. "The drivers are allowed to transport vegetables only after following the safety protocol, including sanitisation of vehicles."