The State government issued special orders to evacuate migrants stranded at the Maharashtra–Karnataka border near Nippani. As many as 393 people from six districts who had returned from Maharashtra and other States were allowed to go home on Wednesday and Thursday.
They included migrants and employees from Hassan, Udupi, Chickballapur, Karwar, Mangaluru, and Dharwad. They were stuck at Kuganoli inter-State check-post set up as per the standard operating procedure of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Some of them had been waiting at the border for four to five days. Most of them did not have proper documents as prescribed by the MHA. The Karnataka government’s recent decision not to accept all travellers from four States, including Maharashtra, added to their woes. Some of them faced severe inconvenience as there were no hotels to stay and no toilets or bathrooms. Moreover, most of them complained that they had run out of money.
“Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa issued special one-time passes that could be treated as no-objection certificates by the receiving districts. Those who had vehicles were allowed to continue. The Belagavi district COVID-19 committee arranged taxis, buses and other vehicles for those who did not have their own vehicles,” said an officer who is a member of the committee.
Deputy Commissioner S.B. Bommanahalli said that seven persons who had both the transit pass issued by the originating district and the NOC issued by the receiving district, were allowed to enter on Wednesday.
He appealed to people from Maharashtra to postpone their travel plans.
Superintendent of Police P. Lakshman Nimbaragi said that from Thursday, entry of people coming from Maharashtra was being strictly monitored.
