Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, May 26: The state government has issued an order barring entry of people from other states into Karnataka till May 31. People from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts settled elsewhere, who are not aware of the stand taken by Karnataka government, are returning in droves, only to be stopped at the state's border with Maharashtra at Nipani and sent back.
Mumbai, Thane and some other places in Maharashtra have large population belonging to the undivided Dakshina Kannada district. The number of people from Udupi district is particularly high. As many as 7,226 people from Maharashtra have already arrived in the district and have been placed in quarantine. Officials expect to get over 10,000 people into the district in the coming days.
Some travel agencies are trying to take advantage of the critical situation created by a coronavirus and they have been robbing the people by offering to drop them at their villages. People from Karnataka are promised to be taken to their districts even when they are not in possession of Seva Sindhu passes. By claiming to take the responsibility of ensuring that they are safely ferried across the state borders, the agencies collect exorbitant charges from the people and bring them to Nipani. Once they reach the checkpost on the national highway at Koganoli in Nipani taluk, the police block the buses from moving further. The agency vehicles and buses drop off the passengers at the checkpost before returning. Maharashtra government issues a pass to people going to Maharashtra. Government buses also bring people to the border before turning around.
As many as 247 persons from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district had arrived at the Nipani checkpost in 11 vehicles including buses a couple of days back. They were made to get down at the Nipani border. However, the officials did not allow travellers to go beyond even though they pleaded with them. They had arrived at 3 am and waited till 6 pm in vain before going back to Mumbai. Several vehicles come to the border every day where the passengers have verbal friction with officials before returning with a sense of frustration and anger. Koganoli villagers say that Maharashtra police arrange for food and water for a few people waiting near the gate.
The deputy commissioner of Udupi district G Jagadeesh observed that the travel agencies are taking undue advantage of people. He advised people now in Maharashtra to follow the government order as they will get an opportunity to return home in the next phase. He said there is no provision to take them in till May 31. It is mandatory and quarantine centres in the district are full, he revealed.
Sub-divisional officer of Chikodi Raveendra Karalinganavar said that no one is being allowed to enter Karnataka from outside the state now and that those coming from Maharashtra are being sent back.