THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the Prime Minister seeking urgent intervention to have Karnataka open up all its border passes to Kerala. All freights to the State have stopped after being grounded at the border and Karnataka’s explanation on the issue defies logic, the letter reads.
Kerala is among States that adopted most effective strategies to contain Covid, a reason why it has placed the relatively highest percentage of its population under quarantine. However, shortage of essential commodities can have directly hamper State’s preventive measures. The absolute closure of border resulted in a woman’s tragic death on Sunday after police there blocked her ambulance from traveling to a hospital in Karnataka’s Mangalapuram, where she had been availing long term treatment.
This request comes not for seeking unrestrained border crossing for people, but rather for dire emergencies and movement of trucks loaded with goods that are essential to sustain a population.
CM’s letter asks the Centre to issue urgent instructions to authorities in Karnataka to resolve the border issue. At a time when the country as a whole is battling a crucial crisis, regional or divisive motives must not impede national interests, said CM in his letter.
