GUWAHATI: Even as Meghalaya has chosen not to relax interstate and inter-district travel restrictions, Nagaland has lifted all restrictions on inter and intrastate movement of people, goods and services, with effect from Tuesday. With this all but one NE states have complied with directive from the Home Ministry.
The move comes in the wake of the high-power committee (HPC) on COVID-19 on Monday announcing decisions to lay more emphasis on improving the economy in the state.
Nagaland Government spokesperson on COVID-19, Neiba Kronu had said on Monday that the high-power committee had decided to lift restrictions on inter and intrastate movement of all types with effect from September 1.
“Unlike the previous versions of the ‘Unlock,’ where the respective district task forces on COVID-19 had been empowered to take their own decisions on lockdown measures, this time they would not be allowed to restrict the movement of vehicles,” Kronu said.
The decision by the HPC in regard to announcing the special operating procedures came a day after the Union home ministry released a new set of guidelines for “Unlock 4”.
Our Reporter adds: Declining to alter Meghalaya government’s stand in this regard, Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong instead expected the Ministry of Home Affairs to understand the concerns of the state over the safety of its people as opposed to the directive for throwing open entry exit points.
“Safety of Meghalaya is supreme and I am sure MHA understands that,” Tynsong told reporters on Tuesday. Reiterating that the state was not defying the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the interstate movement, Tynsong said that the State was only putting additional restrictions and regulations as was being done by many a state in their fight against COVID-19.
“We respect the directives but at the same time it is our responsibility to ensure COVID does not happen”, the Deputy Chief Minister said while maintaining that there was no question of going against the MHA guidelines.
He reasoned that the state government was not closing down everything but regulations had to be in place.
According to Tynsong, as decided, the state government had closed down the entry points for the first week of September.
“It was done to sanitise the points and also allow the health workers to rest”.
He admitted that the state had shortage of manpower and “it is an open secret”.
Tynsong hoped that one would make an issue out of it as every state was fighting COVID in accordance with their own local requirements.