Huge rush for inter-state passes to enter Baddi area

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan,May 27

As many as 1,000 requests for entering the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial belt was received by the police from the industrial workforce within 24 hours of introducing a paperless online system.

Issuing passes has become a Herculean task for the police ever since the District Magistrate permitted the industrial workforce to commute from the neighbouring states on a daily basis and industry managements on alternate days from the tricity. With the area housing 89 per cent of the state’s industry, the investors were in a tearing hurry to resume optimum manufacturing activities. Applicants have to apply on http://[http://bit.ly=]bit.ly/BBN_MOVT to avail a pass.

“On an average we are getting a request every 15 seconds and 1,000 passes have already been issued since last evening. I request all to apply conservatively as higher the mobility higher the risk of contracting infection,” Baddi SP Rohit Malpani.

The entry and exit of vehicles is being regulated through the inter-state barriers at Dherowal and Barotiwala within designated hours to avert chaos. Since the industrial units can operate at higher capacities now, the investors were keen to quicken their manufacturing after having lost two months in the lockdown.

Companies are supposed to apply to the Deputy Director (Industries) first and after obtaining his consent, a movement pass is issued by the SP office. “Scrutiny of requisite documents is done by my staff for issuing daily and alternate day movement pass from the Tricity and the passes are supposed to be pasted on the windscreen to avert delays at the inter-state barriers. Identity cards are, however, being checked,” Baddi SP Rohit Malpani said.

“Many people are applying repeatedly despite being granted a pass or even while their application is in process. Such repeated applicants are being blocked automatically by the server. People should use this facility judiciously as repeated requests will inconvenience others,” cautioned the SP.

Notably, 20 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in the BBN belt with 11 being active right now.