VIJAYAWADA: With reports doing rounds that the Telangana government was mulling the possibility of re-enforcing lockdown in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, owing to the surging Covid-19 cases in the city, people hailing from Andhra Pradesh intending to return to their home state turned up in huge numbers at an inter-state border check post on Wednesday.
Between 7 am and 7 pm, more than 500 vehicles reportedly reached the Garikapadu check post. However, only a few commuters were let into AP as the remaining did not have emergency passes issued by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Some who were denied entry picked up arguments with the police. “We have a pass issued by the Nalgonda collector. But the duty police at Garikapadu check post did not accept it. What should I do now?” a woman said. Meanwhile, people waiting for their turn for Covid-19 testing at the check post flouted physical distancing norms.
Krishna SP M Ravindranath Babu told TNIE that only those with valid passes will be allowed to come back. “People who want to enter Vijayawada must obtain passes by registering their details on the Spandana portal. Though instructions by the Ministry of Home Affairs say that all interstate borders will be opened from July 1 as part of ‘Unlock 2.0’, we are not going to welcome people without passes until we receive orders from the state government,” the SP added.
Noting that people will be allowed into the state from 7 am to 7 pm, Director General of Police D Gautam Sawang asked people not to travel without passes. “We are going to conduct a meeting on the MHA’s new directions soon, and will take a decision on lifting restrictions at interstate border check posts,” Sawang added.