People continue to enter Erode without e-pass

Despite the police insisting motorists and people entering the district on foot to have e-pass, hundreds of people, mostly workers, continue to enter without e-pass every day.

Following an increase in COVID-19 positive cases, the State government has imposed restriction on inter-district travel and asked people to obtain e-pass for entering other districts. The restriction has affected large number of office goers and workers from Pallipalayam and Kumarapalayam areas in Namakkal district who come to the district every day.

While vehicles line up in large numbers at the check post at Karungalpalayam near River Cauvery, swab samples are lifted from people who cross the bridge on foot. The restriction is affecting the work force as they have to spend over an hour at the check post before entering the district.

Most of the daily earners say that they are unaware of the procedure to obtain the e-pass or do not have any supporting documents to apply. A woman worker from Pallipalayam said she was a construction worker for the past 20 years and wanted permission to workers like her to enter Erode every day. Many office-goers also said that they be allowed after verifying their identity card.

However, senior police officials said the purpose of restriction was to prevent the spread of the disease and wanted the workers to obtain e-pass.