Haryana requests Delhi to issue special passes for govt employees

Stating that about 56% of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the national capital region districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Jhajjar and Sonepat had Delhi connections, the Haryana government on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court they would allow the movement of medical professionals from Delhi only on the basis of passes.

The Haryana government on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that it had requested the additional chief secretary of the home department of the Delhi government to issue special passes to the employees working with the Delhi government to facilitate their commute to and from Delhi. However, to date, no reply has been received from the Delhi government.

Haryana Police personnel screen commuters for identity cards and permits at the Delhi-Gurugram Border, near Ambience Mall, during lockdown in the wake of coronavirus, at Sirhaul toll plaza, in Gurugram, India. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

A senior official in the chief minister’s office said, “We haven’t received any letter from Haryana government.”

Stating that about 56% of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the national capital region districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Jhajjar and Sonepat had Delhi connections, the Haryana government on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court they would allow the movement of medical professionals from Delhi only on the basis of passes. Gurugram and Faridabad, on Tuesday, did allow medical professionals, health workers and sanitation personnel to cross the borders from Delhi, said the police, nearly two weeks after Haryana government curbed the movement of people from the Capital. Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner (DC), Gurugram, said, “The borders connecting Delhi have now been de-sealed for people associated with emergency services and for medical professionals. We will monitor the situation closely and changes will be made only after the situation has been brought under control. Unregulated movement at the Gurugram-Delhi borders will not be allowed.”

Hearing a public interest litigation, the Delhi HC on May 8 had said that orders of Sonepat district magistrate (DM) obstructing the movement of doctors, nurses, court officials and trucks from Delhi to Sonepat constituted an infringement of the constitutional provisions.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1 asked the states to ensure that interstate movement of medical professionals, nurses, paramedics is facilitated. The directions came after the issue of restrictions being imposed by some states including Haryana was flagged during a meeting of the cabinet secretary and state governments on Sunday. “ Ensuring unhindered movement of medical professionals is essential for meeting public health requirements and saving precious human lives,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said in his communication to the state governments.

Haryana’s additional advocate general (AAG) Anil Grover who appeared for the state government on Monday told the court that in furtherance of May 11 directions of the MHA, the state government has evolved a procedure of movement passes (e-passes) which will be given to medical professionals without any hassle. “Today we have provided about 55 passes to medical professionals living in Haryana’s NCR districts and working in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to facilitate their interstate movement around the national capital,’’ Grover said.

The neighbouring state told the court that they since the majority of cases till May 9 in the bordering districts of Haryana are mainly due to their Delhi connection, it became imperative in the interest of the public to impose stricter restrictions on the movement of people.

The HC, however, asked the Central government to convince the state government not to press for movement passes and resolve the issue. A bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Sanjeev Narula also asked the Haryana government for an additional affidavit detailing the situation on the ground and posted the matter for May 14.

The AAG said that the argument is centred around the fact that the majority of Covid-19 cases in four districts were an outcome of the daily commute of passengers from Haryana’s NCR districts to the national capital. He also stated that the movement of doctors, nurses and paramedics is not being halted on the borders.

The movement restriction orders are not Delhi-centric. They applied to interdistrict travel within Haryana as well as to the movement of commuters to Uttar Pradesh, the AAG said. “ The entire endeavour is to ensure that the pandemic does not enter the rural areas of Haryana because there will be havoc if it does,’’ Grover told the HC.

In an affidavit filed before the court, the state government said that the April 30 orders of Sonepat district magistrate had exempted the movement of ambulances, ATM cash vans, LPG, oil containers, tankers from Delhi. Besides, the movement of grains, milk, poultry, cereals, lentils and other eatables, excluding fruits and vegetables from Delhi, green and dry fodder, medicines and medical equipment and transit logistics movement of essential and non-essential goods was allowed by the Sonepat administration.

The Haryana government, in the affidavit, also told the Court that on April 24, the deputy commissioner, Sonepat, had written to the Delhi government stating that the e- passes for the government employees would not only help in the regulation of movement but also have prevented people from Delhi, claiming to be on official duty.