After Karnataka, now Chhattisgarh wants domestic air passengers quarantined

He also asked for clarity on whether the 14-day mandatory quarantine would be at a paid centre or a state-run facility for incoming passengers on domestic flights.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday wrote to Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressing concern over resumption of domestic flight services scheduled from Monday, without any standard operating procedure (SOP) and asserted that it should be made operational only after strict and effective guidelines were in place.

In his letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, the chief minister said that it had come to his notice through different media that the Civil Aviation ministry had decided to resume domestic flight services from May 25. (AFP)

“Provide details of each flight and details of passengers to the states first,” the Chhattisgarh chief minister said in his letter.

He also asked for clarity on whether the 14-day mandatory quarantine would be at a paid centre or a state-run facility for incoming passengers on domestic flights.

In his letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, the chief minister said that it had come to his notice through different media that the Civil Aviation ministry had decided to resume domestic flight services from May 25.

Baghel reiterated that no separate standard operating procedure (SOP) had been issued for passengers who would be travelling from one state to the other on domestic flights.

He said the further spread of the coronavirus infection could not be averted if domestic flight services are resumed at the scheduled time when the nation has been witnessing a spike in a number of states as far as Covid-19 positive cases were concerned.

In his letter, Baghel asserted that the civil aviation ministry should resume operating flights only under effective measures and guidelines to curb the spread of Covid-19. He urged the minister that details of each flight, having elaborate information about passengers travelling should be shared with the states keeping in mind the increasing number of Covid-19 positive cases.

He also suggested that the 14-day quarantine at either a paid or a state-run quarantine facility should be made mandatory for all incoming passengers on domestic flights.

The Chhattisgarh chief minister said at the time of booking of tickets, all passengers should be informed about the mandatory quarantine period to be completed and its conditions.

The chief minister added that resuming domestic flight services under strict and effective guidelines would in the long-run help all state governments in taking measures to curb and control the spread of the coronavirus infection.

Earlier, Karnataka’s Director General of Police had said that all passengers coming to Karnataka via domestic flights from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh would be required to undergo a 7-day “institutional quarantine” which would then be followed by home quarantine.

On Saturday morning, the office of the Karnataka DGP announced the move in a post on Twitter.