TN reboots with easier E-pass norms
Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami’s decision to issue e-passes to all those who produce identity proofs like Aadhaar or ration cards has come as a relief to the people of the state, especially the workforce. This comes after a special committee was formed to look into the issue of easing e-pass norms to reboot the economy as many had been finding it difficult to travel across districts to resume work in firms and factories.
When the state entered its third phase of lockdown relaxations from August 1 and allowed companies to function with 75% of the workforce, the e-pass had become a major barrier to go past the widened workplace doors. The state had decided against completely doing away with the system, considering the spike in cases in districts near Chennai, and in the state’s western zone comprising Coimbatore and Salem. These are also the areas that have thick industrial clusters.
This is why the CM stressed on the need for e-passes as a mechanism to clamp down on unnecessary movement of people in these high-risk zones, but with a promise to simplify the system. Friday’s decision to issue e-passes to those who produce identity proof is a step towards bringing more flexibility in inter-district movement, but with reasonable restrictions.
The earlier mechanism was strict and had led to a burgeoning fake e-pass racket in many districts, leading to a nudge from the Madras HC that called those who demanded bribes “bloodthirsty wolves”. The restrictions had also led to many parties, including the DMK and BJP, and activists asking the state to do away with the e-pass. But one needs to appreciate the government’s firm stand, given the impact of the virus on the vulnerable.
The state will need to do some tightrope walking between injecting measures to bring the economy back to health and monitoring inter-district travel to reduce the viral load. A way forward could be institutionalising the workforce by doing a quick audit of requirements of various industries and coming up with a plan to issue permanent industrial passes on the lines of workers’ permit and identity cards. This will not only ease the burden of vigil on the district borders, but also help systemise workforce dynamics.