Repairmen, IT staff, bank employees turned back at inter-state borders

Over 1,000 visitors to Gurugram, expecting relaxation of curbs to gain passage to the city in view of the Lockdown 3.0, returned disappointed as police personnel

Over 1,000 visitors to Gurugram, expecting relaxation of curbs to gain passage to the city in view of the Lockdown 3.0, returned disappointed as police personnel restricted their entry, especially on the expressway and MG Road.

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Borders connecting the two cities were sealed last week and entry of only those engaged in essential services, carrying valid passes, are allowed.

As many as 1,045 people were turned away from borders between 7am and 6pm on Monday, the police said.

The Gurugram police said on Sunday that intra-district movement was allowed, but there would no movement between the national Capital and Gurugram, due to the rising number of cases linked to Delhi.

On Monday morning, the police had changed the layout of deployment at the Sirhaul border, by placing barricades 100 metres before the border to ensure there is no traffic congestion at the border that could hold up passage of essential supply vehicles and ambulances.

A large contingent of bank employees, saloon and parlour staff, private company staff and electrical support staff were stuck at the border and had to return after to pass through.

Karan Goel, the assistant commissioner of police (DLF), said that people had assumed that they will be allowed to cross the border as they had received emails from their employers to resume work, but they were not supported with any passes. “People were requesting to be allowed as they have not received salaries for the last two months and if they did not report, would not be paid,” he said.

Goel said it is challenging work to check more than 2,000 passes every day and to allow people with emergency issues. Many times, people don’t understand the rules and regulations and start pleading us to allow them, despite saying no,” he said.

With 85 Covid-19 cases, Gurugram is in the Union government’s orange zone list. Its 11 borders with Delhi, which is a red zone, were sealed last week.

Over 50 police personnel were deployed at the most-used border points — Sirhaul, Aya Nagar and Kapashera — which generally witness a large inflow of people from Delhi and other NCR towns who work in corporate houses and industrial areas in the city’s hubs.

Within the city, however, barricades were removed early Monday morning, said police. Over 103 police posts, which were set up in residential areas, were lifted after the district administration issued fresh orders on Sunday, announcing relaxation for residents between 7am and 7pm.

Muhammad Akil, police commissioner, Gurugram, said that the lockdown curfew during the day (between 7 am and 7 pm) will be relaxed, but movements are restricted at night. “We have to control the movement between the two cities as the cases linked to Delhi are testing positive. Even on Monday, seven of the 11 cases that tested positive were linked to Azadpur Mandi in Delhi,” he said.

Police said the passes to the employees shall be granted on a weekly basis, with fixed validity from May 4 to May 10 and from May 11 to May 17, the officials said. The applicants will also have to provide details of their ancillary units to seek support from the state in reinstating their supply chains, the order stated.

The police will be deployed in residential areas between 7pm and 7am starting Monday night and anyone found violating the norms will be booked under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.