No restrictions on movement: MHA

Such restrictions are creating problems in interstate movement of goods and services and ...resulting in disruption in economic activities AJAY BHALLA, Home secretary

NEWDELHI:UNION home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday asked all the states to make sure that there are no restrictions on interstate and intrastate movement of persons and goods during the ongoing unlocking process.

The home secretary cited Unlock-3 guidelines dated July 29 while asking the state governments and administrations of Union territories not to stop people at borders. This includes movement of persons and goods for land border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries.

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) was forced to intervene as there were reports that locallevel restrictions on movement were being imposed by various districts and states.

Bhalla said in his letter reviewed by HT: “Such restrictions are creating problems in interstate movement of goods and services and are impacting the supply chain, resulting in disruption in economic activities and employment.”

The unlock guidelines clearly state that there shall be no restrictions on interstate and intrastate movement of persons and goods, he said in the letter.

The guidelines also stated that no separate permission, approval or e-permit will be required for movement of persons and goods for crossing state borders.

Bhalla said that restrictions amount to the violation of guidelines issued by the MHA under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The home ministry didn’t specify on Saturday which states were violating the guidelines.

Officials of the Karnataka health and family welfare department on Saturday said that there are no restrictions on inter-state movement of goods and persons.

Similarly, there are no restrictions on movement between Telangana and Andhra Praesh, officials said. While Telangana lifted restrictions on inter-state movement of passengers and goods on May 31 itself, all curbs were removed in Andhra Pradesh on August 1, the officials added.

While there are no restrictions on movement of goods in Kerala, the state has a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all the people entering the state, except those visiting for a brief stay. State officials on Saturday said that there were no immediate plans to ease the restrictions as the state is in the midst of a Covid-19 peak.

In Madhya Pradesh, transport minister Govind Singh Rajput said that the government never stopped any inter-state movement of persons and goods.

The Unlock-3 is currently in force till August 31. The unlock process began on June 1 with the opening of industrial activities and offices across the country.