VIJAYAWADA/GUNTUR/KURNOOL: Tension prevailed on the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana borders on Thursday with a large number of people trying to cross into AP from Telangana at the borders in Krishna, Guntur and Kurnool districts.
However, the issue was resolved with the intervention of higher officials and except 44 people, the majority of those who tried to cross into AP returned to the places in Telangana from where they came.
“COVID-19 has been declared a national disaster. Prime Minister and Chief Minister have called upon people to stay where they are. However, some have violated the lockdown norms and tried to enter AP, but were prevented at the borders. We have not allowed them and only those who agreed in writing to be quarantined were allowed,” DGP Gautam Sawang said in a press release.
What prompted the sudden rush of people to their villages was the Telangana police giving No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to some students staying in Hyderabad to travel to their native places in AP. Private hostels in Hyderabad started shutting down as they could not provide food and other facilities to the inmates.
At Garikapadu check-post in Jaggaiahpeta in Krishna district, nearly 2,000 people with NOCs issued by TS police were stranded for hours, with Andhra police not allowing them.
However, after speaking to higher officials, police at the border check-post said those who are ready to be in quarantine for 14-days will be allowed. IIIT-Nuzvid was made as the quarantine facility.
“However, only 44 people had agreed to stay in quarantine and the rest of them returned. All 44 people underwent medical tests before being quarantined.
On the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, we spoke to Telangana officials and the NOCs issued were withdrawn and most of them returned,” Krishna district collector Md Imtiaz told TNIE.
It is learnt that more than 2,000 people had stayed in Kodada without coming to Garikapadu check-post, adopting a wait and watch policy.
Once it becomes clear that coming to AP is not possible, they returned.
The collector observed that the very purpose of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for lockdown is to stop the spread of the virus and that giving NOCs for travel defeats the very purpose of it.
A similar situation prevailed at the Pullur border in Kurnool district where the police did not allow people from Telangana to cross into AP and people from AP to Telangana.
Around 200 students from Telangana, who are undergoing coaching for bank recruitment tests at Guru Raghavendra Coaching Centre in Nandyal, wanted to return and they came in different vehicles, but were stopped at Pullur check-post. They claimed that they had NOCs, but police officials sent them back.
Similarly, a group of around 200 people tried to cross into AP at the checkpost claiming they have NOCs. After heated arguments with police, they staged a dharna at the check-post, but with police standing firm, they had to return. None of them were ready to be quarantined, though they were given the opportunity.
Meanwhile, a few of them tried to enter AP from nearby villages and some of them were caught by the police.
“Around 5-10 people evaded police and entered Andhra Pradesh. However, five of them were taken into police custody. They will be quarantined and search is on for the others,” Kurnool District Superintendent of Police K Fakeerappa told TNIE.He said all the 200 students from Nandyal were sent back in their own vehicles to the AP town.
Jaggaiahpeta
(Krishna district)
Pullur border in Kurnool district
Pondugal border
(Guntur district)