Wake up to plight of stranded: Oppn

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala here on Monday demanded the state government to wake up to the plight of thousands of Malayalis stranded elsewhere in the country and emulate the steps taken by other states in evacuating people stranded outside their native places during the lockdown.
Conditions set by the state government for the entry of Malayalis to their home state were highly unrealistic and unacceptable, he said. “Despite spending hours, many could not obtain a pass. The online system is mostly down. Above all, the state government’s insistence that other states issue passes to leave for Kerala only if the applicant produces the entry pass issued by Kerala makes the whole exercise excessively cumbersome. One can’t even apply for a pass unless he owns a vehicle to travel to his home. But it is surprising to note that such conditions are insisted despite the government issuing no such specific orders covering such points,” Chennithala said.
“I shall read out an extract of an order notified by the chief secretary on May 6. The third para of the G.O. (Rt) no.1452/2020/GAD says that ‘Persons arriving at six designated state borders without entry pass issued from Kerala shall be put under mandatory institutional quarantine irrespective of their district of origin’. But later the officials said only those with pass would be given entry. But no orders substantiating the new conditions have been notified,” Chennithala claimed.
Calling the government for a more just approach toward Malayalis stranded in other states, he demanded the government to operate KSRTC buses for the evacuation and urged the Union government to resume regular train service so that stranded Malayalis could reach home.