Rollback decision to reopen Himachal borders: Cong to state govt

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Kuldeep Rathore said the borders should not be reopened until the government develops a basic framework of testing people for Covid-19 at the state’s borders.

The Himachal Pradesh Congress on Monday staged a protest against the state government’s decision to reopen borders during Unlock 2.0, outside the secretariat here.

Congress workers during a protest in Shimla on Monday. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

The party demanded a rollback of the state government’s decision.

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Kuldeep Rathore said the borders should not be reopened until the government develops a basic framework of testing people for Covid-19 at the state’s borders.

Rathore said the party is not against reviving tourism and other sectors but there is a need to remain vigilant at present. “Even hoteliers and other businessmen are not in favour of this decision and the state government should reconsider it,” he said.

He said the Congress will not let the state government turn Himachal into a Covid-19 destination. “There was a time when Himachal did not had a single coronavirus case but now the number of infections has reached around 1,150 and nine people have lost their lives. It is because people coming from other states were not tested properly,” Rathore said.

The Congress also submitted a memorandum to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur through Shimla deputy commissioner Amit Kashyap. In the memorandum, the Congress demanded that the state government should take back the proposal of hiking bus fare by 25%, abolish anti-employee and anti-pension decisions, reel back Dearness Allowance (DA) of all employees, reduce diesel and petrol prices, include Above Poverty Line (APL) families who were struck off from ration subsidy, increase provident fund of employees which was earlier reduced and provide financial relief to youth who have been unemployed for the last four months.