The government of Puducherry has announced that e-passes will not be required to enter and exit the Union Territory. The move to scrap the requirement of an e-pass, which came into effect from Sunday, comes after the Centre wrote to the states directing the unhindered movement of goods and people between states.
According to reports, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) wrote to all the state governments on August 22, asking them to ensure no restrictions on the inter-state and intra-state movement of people and goods. In the letter, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said there were reports on the local level restrictions on movement imposed by various districts and states. Pointing to the guidelines issued by the MHA for Unlock 3.0, Bhalla said that such restrictions on movement are creating problems in the supply chains, disrupting economic activity and employment.
In line with this, the government of Puducherry announced that no e-passes will be necessary to move to and from the union territory from Sunday. The e-pass system was put in place in the last week of March as a measure to restrict the movement of people and goods in light of COVID-19 pandemic. With the lifting of the e-pass requirement, traffic between Puducherry and Chennai, via arterial roads like the East Coast Road (ECR) and the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), is expected to increase in the coming days.
As on Sunday, Puducherry has reported a total of 10,522 cases of COVID-19 till date. The death toll also increased to 159 with eight new deaths on Sunday.
Puducherry DMK MLA R Siva was confirmed to have COVID-19 on Sunday and he has been admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for treatment.
Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, has decided to take a call on the e-pass requirement after discussing and consulting with the officers concerned and the team of medical experts. Recently, the state government relaxed the e-pass norms for the movement of people between the districts.
According to the new regulations, people who want to travel between the districts within Tamil Nadu can apply for an e-pass using their Aadhar or ration card details. The e-passes are being approved instantaneously. However, the e-pass norms for interstate travel and for those travelling to Tamil Nadu from abroad remain unchanged.