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Month on, 2.53 lakh stranded people wait to return to Himachal
Senior Citizens stranded in Chandigarh, who had come for medical checkups
A month after a nationwide lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19, the clamor for easing travel restrictions has grown louder in Himachal.
A large number of students, senior citizens and private sector employees are stranded in different parts of the state.
In the last 25 days, more than 2,56,173 people stranded within and outside the state in different locations have applied for electronic passes. However, the deputy commissioners and authorities concerned have only approved 53, 764 permits. Permissions granted to the kith and kin of bureaucrats, Indian Police Service officers and political leaders have invited criticism.
Recently, the police sought clarification from The Kinnaur superintendent of police over his children travelling to Kinnaur from Delhi during the lockdown.
Villagers protest forced the police to book a former IAS officer and seven others for violating lockdown orders.
The Congress and CPI( M) have been critical of Mandi Lok Sabha member Ramswaroop being allowed to travel to Jogindernagar during the lockdown.
The government has issued passes to scores of Himachal Pradesh secretariat employees allowing them to travel during lockdown.
From Bilaspur 21,075 people have applied for passes, from Chamba 2,293, Hamirpur 22589, Kangra 26903, Kinnaur 14553, Kullu 8370, Lahaul and Spiti 124, Mandi 82972, Shimla 38,135 Sirmaur 12,892, Solan 19,112 and from Una 7,255.
Students, senior citizens, monks, farmers stranded
The governed rejected has rejected the electronic passes of around 1,69,600 people. Those waiting to make their way back home are monks from Kinnaur stranded in monasteries in Dharamshala , Rewalsar Battu and Jogindernagar.
”No one seems to be bothered about senior citizens who had come for medical checkups to Chandigarh and are now stuck. They are forced to stay with their distant relatives,” says Vijay Verma , who retired as Manager from Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam.
CPI( M) demands transportation for Kashmiris
The communist party of India welcomed the government’s decision to send buses to Kota to get back 129 students stranded in different coaching centres. However, the party demanded that the government make arrangements to transport migrant labourers, particularly Kashmiris.
IT department had developed application for passes with 36 hours of lockdown
The Himachal information and technology department had developed a software within 36 hours of lockdown.
“The department of information technology, and the department of information have developed a number of applications to facilitate citizens and the administration during the lockdown,” said director IT Rohan Chand Thakur
These apps will maintain social distancing and contactless services among the public and within the government.
Five apps have been rolled out so far, including Government Orders, (http://covidorders.ho.gov.in, Covid Curfew ePass http://covidepass.hp.gov.in and Covid Quarantine App (http://covid19.hp.gov.in)
