Consider as representation plea to move COVID checkpoints closer to Keraka-TN border: HC
Jun 25, 2020
Kochi (Kerala) [India], June 25 : The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the state government and authorities concerned to consider as a representation plea seeking directions to move the COVID-19 checkpoints, to screen those coming from Tamil Nadu, close to the border.
A bench of Justice VG Arun said that the plea, which highlights that the checkpoints are located far away from the border and allow people to avoid screening by deviating through byroads and forest roads, requires serious consideration by the district collector.
The high court directed the Kollam district collector to expeditiously consider as a representation the plea, filed by five residents of Aryankavu, for moving the checkpoints closer to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border from the present location that is three km away.
The petition submitted before the court that the COVID-19 checkpoints are situated at a distance of three km from the border at Kottavasal. Kerala-Tamil Nadu border is at Kottavasal, which adjoins Aryankavu village.
"Five km of the Kollam-Madurai national highway (NH-744) passes through Aryankavu, and COVID-19 checkpoints have been set up at Aryankavu to screen passengers coming in from Tamil Nadu," the plea said.
It said that Aryankavu has a railway station and a bus station and it has several byroads, mud roads, and forest roads which allow passengers coming from Tamil Nadu to escape the screening and go to other places in the state.
"Such an incident was reported on April 21 at Kulathupuzha. The village of Aryankavu has a population of 1,700 persons and the residents are now living in fear of contracting the disease," the plea said.
"They are also being harassed regularly by police and other officials when they go out to go to the bank, hospital, or for agricultural purposes and are forced to undergo disinfection process whenever they cross the COVID-19 checkpoints," it added.
The plea said that the authorities have enough space to erect the COVID-19 checkpoints and disinfection the centre near the inter-state border at Kottavasal.
