Chaos at borders again as police insist on e-passes issued by Telangana

HYDERABAD: The horror of vehicles waiting for interminable hours at the border checkposts for permission to enter Telangana returned on Sunday with the police setting up barricades and refusing to allow anyone without e-passes issued by the Telangana government. This has led to a long line-up of vehicles as the unwary travellers did not know that they had to obtain e-passes, which became mandatory overnight.

Earlier, the Telangana police used to allow vehicles if they had e-passes issued by the States from where they began their journey. Barring ambulances and vehicles carrying patients of Covid- 19, the police posted at different checkposts at the borders stood firm, despite pleas by the travellers to allow them. They kept showing the e-passes issued by their States but the police remained unmoved. The Telangana police erected checkpoints at Ramapuram of Nalgonda district, Nallabandagudem of Suryapet, Zaheerabad of Mumbai highway, Desinenipalem in Khammam district and at Pullur toll gate in Jogulamba Gadwal district and refused entry to the vehicles.

They even resorted to mild lathi-charge at people coming from AP after they questioned the police’s actions. A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) rank officer, who was monitoring the situation at AP and Telangana border, said that they were given instructions in this regard by their senior officials. “Telangana e-pass is a must. This is a conscientious decision taken to prevent unnecessary crowd formation in Telangana. We have been asked to implement Telangana e-pass rule strictly and we are doing exactly that,” he said.

As the police set up barricades, vehicles stopped one after the other for a distance of five km and when it appeared more number of vehicles would be joining the queue, the police, with no alternative left, allowed some of them into Telangana while telling others to return. The police, however, allowed vehicles carrying patients and ambulances, as High Court instructions to this effect are in force.

POLICE UNMOVED BY TRAVELLERS’ PLEAS

Barring ambulances and vehicles carrying patients of Covid-19, the police posted at different checkposts at the borders stood firm, despite pleas by the travellers to allow them. A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) rank officer, who was monitoring the situation at AP and Telangana border, said that they were given instructions in this regard by their senior officials