BHUBANESWAR: The state government has set up 20 check points (BCPs) in 13 districts, which share their border with West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, to keep an eye on people coming from the neighbouring states.
Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bargarh, Mayurbhanj and Jharsuguda are the districts where the checkpoints have come up. State transport secretary Madhu Sudan Padhi has written to the district collectors and asked them to manage the flow of people coming from the other states. The staff of the regional transport offices (RTOs) and police personnel have been asked to man the check posts.
The government has already made it mandatory for people coming from the other states to produce their RT-PCR negative reports obtained within 72 hours from the date of arrival in Odisha or their vaccination certificates. The ones travelling without any of the two reports must remain in seven-day home/institutional quarantine.
Those who reach the BCPs without the RT-PCR reports or vaccination certificates will have to furnish a written undertaking that they would stay in home/institutional quarantine. “We have provided the forms to the BCPs. People coming to the state without the required documents must share their details and show their identity/address proofs,” Padhi said.
The government has also provided an online platform to fill up the forms. “We have uploaded the forms and given links on www.odishatransport.gov.in and www.covid19.odisha.in. People can fill up the forms before starting their journey, take printouts and submit the forms to the staff of the BCPs to avoid any hassle. We have requested the electronic and information technology department to give a separate link for ‘BCP entry 2021’ on www.odisha.gov.in,” the secretary said.
The district collectors have been asked to receive daily updates from the BCPs about the entry of people without the RT-PCR or vaccination reports from other states and share the details with the chief district medical officers concerned or control rooms to keep tabs on such people.
The state government has suspended the interstate bus services from Monday (April 19) to check the spread of Covid-19. However, there is no restriction on the movement of goods vehicles.