As the authorities raised a wall at the border adjoining Salapur Khera village in Delhi and Gurugram on Wednesday, used by many to circumvent the border checkpost, many daily wage workers alleged harassment from the police and said that they were denied entry despite procuring movement passes.
Several feared that they would lose their jobs if they were not allowed through.
The 10-meter lane in the village was a route between Gurugram and Delhi. It earlier had a wall that blocked such an access. However, over the last 20 years, wall was partially demolished and the route was used by thousands — mostly migrant workers employed in industries and factories in Udyog Vihar and Palam Vihar — to commute between the two cities.
“I have been going to work using this route for a decade. Now, there is a wall blocking the movement,” said Sudhir Kumar, a Gorakhpur native, who works in a software company in the city. “What is the point of issuing movement passes if the entry is barred. After I was stopped from entering from Salapur, I went to the Dundahera side but police did not allow me to pass. We have suffered already due to the lockdown and are struggling to survive.”
Avinash, who works as a delivery person with an e-commerce firm in sector 18, said, “I was on my way to work when I was stopped by the police. I showed them the e-pass but they said it was invalid and tore it up. The police said only essential service workers would be allowed to pass. I have not been paid for past two months as I could not go to work due to the lockdown. This has worsened the situation.”
{{/usCountry}}Avinash, who works as a delivery person with an e-commerce firm in sector 18, said, “I was on my way to work when I was stopped by the police. I showed them the e-pass but they said it was invalid and tore it up. The police said only essential service workers would be allowed to pass. I have not been paid for past two months as I could not go to work due to the lockdown. This has worsened the situation.”
{{/usCountry}}Police said that they had deployed force and the civic authorities constructed the wall at Salapur border after complaints from residents of sector-21 and after the Haryana government had issued instructions to seal interstate borders on May 1.
“This is not a legal route for commuting,” said Rajender Kumar, SHO, Palam Vihar police station.
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