BENGALURU: With the rising number of Covid-19 cases among those returning from high-risk states, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to seek restriction on movement of people by flights from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, R a j a s t h a n a n d M a d hya Pradesh. The state had earlier blocked rail and road travel from three of these states.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy, after the cabinet meeting, said the decision was taken after noticing that travellers from these five states were the highest contributors to the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in Karnataka. New Delhi, which has a high number of cases, has however been left out.
“We have already issued orders restricting road and rail travel from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Now, it has been decided to restrict air travel from five high-risk states for a few days. There are people in quarantine and if more people are added, it might be difficult to handle,” Madhuswamy said at a press briefing after the cabinet meet.
Speaking to TNIE later, the minister clarified that the State Government has requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to reduce the number of flights from these five states to Karnataka. He also added that a decision on allowing travellers by trains will be taken in the next cabinet meeting.
While he insisted that no discussion on the lockdown after May 31 was held, Madhuswamy added that new returnees, specially from Maharashtra, will be accepted after those already in quarantine are tested. The cabinet seems to have acknowledged that quarantine facilities and mandatory testing for all those returning from these states are putting Karnataka’s resources under stress.
During the press conference, Madhuswamy said that travellers from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are restricted by road, rail and airways.
Norms eased for cabbies, auto drivers
Those from MP and Rajasthan will be restricted only on airways, but Madhuswamy later said a decision on railways will be taken later. Other key decisions include extending the Rs 5,000 per hectare compensation for maize farmers to all maize farmers irrespective of sowing season; easing of conditions for auto/cab drivers, washermen and barbers to claim one-time cash assistance of Rs 5,000; Rs 18.8 crore administrative approval to set up medicine godowns in Udupi, Chikkamagalur, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Chikkaballapura. The CM will nominate by June 23, five people to the Council, where seats will fall vacant