Last Updated on March 11, 2021 at 8:14 pm
Even though other states and Union Territories have removed the restrictions on movement of people and inter-state buses but these rules are continuing to exist in J&K. Inter-state buses are not allowed to cross the Ravi bridge towards Lakhanpur and commuters are also stopped and asked to fill a form before entering Kathua.
This is putting pressure on the commuters visiting J&K as they have to face harassment after reaching Madhopur (Punjab-J&K border). Commuters who are travelling via inter-state buses have to get out from their vehicles at Madhopur and then walk one kilometre to Lakhanpur COVID Check Post.
A University of Jammu employee who returned from Punjab said that commuters are made subject to a lot of harassment and humiliation. This exercise has also demotivated pilgrims and tourists coming to the UT as no one wants to go through this at Lakhanpur Check Post. Many believe that this practice will also negatively impact trade and tourism industry which is already weakened because of consistent lockdowns.
People also complained that those who earn their livelihood through tourism industry in the UT have already suffered a lot in the recent past and these restrictions are further increasing their problems.
People who will be mostly hit by these restrictions are students who are studying in other states, migratory labourers, traders visiting other states, patients going to other states for treatment, private sector and government employees working outside the UT.
Many believe that this system is a mere formality and has no real-life impact especially for those who are travelling in their personal two or four-wheeler vehicles.
Commuters are required to fill a form at Lakhanpur where they are asked to provide details like their name, phone number and name of the place of their source and destination. “This is just a formality and there is no assurance if the details provided by the person in that form are correct. The government is defending this decision by showing it as a way to maintain a check on the spread of coronavirus” said a student who recently came to Jammu from Chandigarh.
