Hundreds of students, working men and women staying in private hostels in and around Hyderabad thronged various police stations on Wednesday seeking permission to go to their native places in view of the three-week nationwide lockdown imposed by the Centre.
The students and employees, who were virtually thrown on roads by the hostel managements which announced closure of the premises following the lockdown, approached the police stations in large numbers requesting that arrangements be made to send them to their native places.
Long queues of students and employees working in various private organisations were witnessed at several police stations like Punjagutta, S R Nagar, Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Kukatpally, Madhapur, Raidurgam, Uppal and Gachibowli.
“Many people got stuck in our paying guest accommodation. In this situation, the owners are asking us to leave for our hometowns. We are not able to find any sources of travel to get back to our native places. Please help us in this situation,” a hostel inmate P Santosh Kumar tweeted, tagging municipal administration minister K T Rama Rao.
Another women hosteller, who was standing in queue at S R Nagar police station, said she was forced to vacate the hostel soon after the Prime Minister announced nationwide lock down for three weeks. “There is no way I can go now, as the hostel mess is closed since Wednesday morning. I want the police to help me go to my native place in Guntur,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Another women hosteller, who was standing in queue at S R Nagar police station, said she was forced to vacate the hostel soon after the Prime Minister announced nationwide lock down for three weeks. “There is no way I can go now, as the hostel mess is closed since Wednesday morning. I want the police to help me go to my native place in Guntur,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Responding to the tweets immediately, KTR asked Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation authorities and senior police officials to take up the issue with all hostel and PG accommodation managers to see that all guests were supported.
However, with the hostel inmates preferring to go to their native places, the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda police commissioners swung into action and started arranging passes for them. “We shall issue passes to all of them after verifying their credentials including Aadhar card details,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said.
He said all the students staying in hostels preparing for competitive examinations, software employees and private firm employees could go home in vehicles to be hired by them, along with valid passes.
“The vehicles which drop them at their native places should show the same passes while returning to the city. Under any circumstances, they should not misuse the passes,” Anjani Kumar warned.
He said nearly 3,000 passes would be issued to various hostel inmates. “They don’t have to come on the roads and stand in front of police stations. They can apply online at covid19.hyd@gmail.com or give a message to the local police on WhatsApp to obtain passes,” the commissioner said.