HYDERABAD: Different exit strategies of State governments from the COVID-induced lockdown caused unremitting agony to those who were leaving Telangana for their home state of Andhra Pradesh on Monday, as the latter continued its interstate travel restriction.
As soon as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that there would be no restriction on interstate travel, AP natives, who were stranded in Hyderabad, headed home on Monday morning, only to be stopped in their tracks at the border checkposts.
As AP government had not yet decided on the Union Home Ministry’s guidelines that permitted movement of persons, the police, who were manning the checkposts were given no instructions. As a result, they sought transit e-passes issued by AP through Spandana portal from the travellers.
When they were stopped at the checkposts, the travellers began arguing with the police personnel. They, however, got nowhere as the police remained firm, particularly at the border checkpost in erstwhile Nalgonda district. Things were more or less the same at Aswaraopet checkpost in erstwhile Khammam district. Those who wanted to sneak into AP through this route met with opposition from the police, who dismissed travellers without e-passes.
One of the travellers, K Narasimha Rao from Rampachowdaram village in Andhra Pradesh, said, ‘’ I came to Bhadrachalam town a few days ago to attend a family function. When I tried to return, I was denied permission by both Telangana and AP governments. “I was happy when I heard the Telangana government lifted the travel ban. I packed my bags and rushed to the checkpost, only to be sent away by the AP police.”
An AP police officer at Aswaraopet checkpost said, “We have instructions not to allow any movement of people from Telangana. We are only following the instructions.”At Pullur checkpost in Gadwal district too, those entering Andhra Pradesh were not welcomed by the police. Entry into Telangana was, however, permitted.
With inputs from A Seshacharyulu,B Satyanarayana Reddy, K Amruth Rao