Tell Karnataka govt to open police checkposts: High Court

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Karnataka Government on a PIL filed by the residents of villages in Kerala, seeking directions to open the Saradka police check-post in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district to allow free movement of people in the border villages.A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the notice to the State government, after hearing the petition filed by Radhakrishna Nayak J S and Somshekar J S, residents of Sheni; and Iytappa Kulala, a resident of Enmakaje village in Kerala.

The petitioners prayed the court to issue directions to the government to allow the ingress and egress of the residents of Saya, Chavarkadu and Bagilapadavu villages of Enmakaje Gram Panchayat to reach Perla, Manjeshwar taluk, Kasargod district in Kerala, passing through the Saradka police check-post in Karnataka.According to the petition, Ward No 1 Saya and Ward no 2 Chavarkadu have around 700 houses, which are dependent on Perla for their daily needs like rations, agricultural activities, electricity and medical facilities. The petitioners and several other residents have to regularly visit the border taluks in Karnataka, namely Sulya, Bantwal, Belthangady and Puttur. Many of the villagers’ children also study in the neighbouring taluk since their mother tongue is Kannada, or for the availability of higher education.

The distance between Perla town, and Saya and Chavarkadu is around 15 km. To reach Perla, villagers must travel through the Kalladka-Charkala State Highway. On this stretch, they must cross a road belonging to Karnataka near the Saradka police check-post, from where the distance to Adyanadka Marakkini is just 1 km.

From the Perla side, three lakh people from Puttige, Badiyadka, Kumdaje and Bellur have to cross this gate to reach Karnataka. But, due to Covid-19, the government has completely closed the Saradka police check-post, blocking total ingress and egress of the villagers.

Reduce delay between test results: HC to Govt
In order to control the spread of Covid-19, the court directed the State to curtail the time gap between laboratories sending reports and patients being shifted to hospitals. The court also asked the government to submit its response over the treatment facility made available in the districts recording the highest number of cases. A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Alok Aradhe passed the order on Monday.

The bench said that as per data, the time limit fixed for the release of test reports is not being followed. “The delay in test report delivery has a direct connection with the spread of Covid-19. The time given for report delivery in Category ‘B’ cases is 24 hours. If a person tested positive in this category, especially in asymptomatic cases, continue to be in home quarantine due to a delay in getting the report, he/she may be the source of transmission.

If the BBMP gets delayed shifting the patient to a hospital, he/she may spread the virus if his house is not suitable for isolation. Therefore, the government needs to address the issue by curtailing the time gap,” HC ordered. The court also asked the government to consider whether a direction be issued to the private hospitals -- not to deny admission to Covid-19 patients if beds are available -- is chargeable.