Odisha-bound vehicles from West Bengal stranded at interstate border
BHUBANESWAR: On April 24, cab driver Prasanta Mishra obtained a lockdown pass from the commissionerate police and left for Kolkata to drop a German passenger at the airport. On return same evening, little did Mishra imagine that he would be denied entry to his home state by the police at Laxmannath interstate check-post in Balasore district.
The plight is not Mishra’s alone. A number of other drivers with passes too have been stranded on the other side of Odisha border following denial of entry by the police. The cops intensified patrolling at the checkpoint from last week after a number of Bengal returnees to Odisha were detected positive to Covid-19 virus.
“I showed the pass to the Balasore police at the checkpoint. But they did not allow me entry to Odisha. I have been sleeping in my vehicle and living on biscuits for the past five days. Police said they have drawn the attention of the home department to my plight. They assured to allow me entry to the state in a day or two after getting clearance from the home department. They also made a condition that I would have to stay in home quarantine for 14 days,” Mishra said.
Santos Swain, a private ambulance driver, said he took permission from the police on April 27 and dropped a patient in Kolkata. “I am denied entry to Odisha as the police said ambulances are being misused to transport passengers. My boss is requesting the commissionerate police and home department to enable my smooth return. I along with more than 20 other drivers have been stranded. We are finding it difficult to arrange food for us during the lockdown,” Swain said.
Police said they were adopting extra precautions before allowing Odisha-bound vehicles from Bengal at the border. “We are doubly verifying the purpose of visits of the people to West Bengal and their returns. Permissions are being required from appropriate authorities before allowing vehicles to the state,” superintendent of police (Balasore) Jugal Kishore Banoth told TOI.
Significantly, DGP Abhay visited Laxmannath interstate check-post on April 21 and instructed the police to remain extra vigilant and prevent illegal infiltration. Alarmed by detection of several positive cases with West Bengal-returnees, the state government last week sealed at least 57 roads connecting Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts to West Bengal. At least 15 platoons of police force and several senior police officers have been mobilized on the border routes for round the clock surveillance.
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