Haryana Govt to Ply Buses for People Stranded in Delhi from 18 May

The Delhi-Haryana border has been sealed since 1 May.

A migrant woman with her infant child travelling from Haryana walks towards her native place, during the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, at Vivek Vihar in New Delhi, Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

(Photo: PTI)

The Haryana government will ply buses to felicitate return of the people who are stranded in Delhi, from 18 May, Haryana Transport Minister Moolchand Sharma said on Thursday, 14 May.

In an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus infections, the Delhi-Gurugram border has been sealed since 1 May, following an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in multiple districts of Haryana, especially in areas adjacent to Delhi.

The announcement by the Haryana government comes the same day as it told the Delhi High Court that it will also “not restrict the movement of people who man essential services”

Appearing before the court through video conferencing, Anil Grover, Additional Advocate General of Haryana government, said, "Movement of people who man essential services as mentioned in the notifications issued by the Union of India, including but not limited to government as well as private doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers, staff of Delhi Police, Delhi Transport Corporation, Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporations, High Courts, trial courts etc, shall be allowed between Delhi and Haryana on production of e-passes and they shall not be quarantined unless and until they test positive for Covid-19 or have been found in contact with COVID-19 patients."

He further submitted that e-passes shall be issued to all the aforesaid individuals within 30 minutes of receipt of the applications. Each e-pass shall be valid for the entire duration of the lockdown and could be used for multiple visits.

The submissions came while the court was hearing a plea filed by OP Gupta, which said that a number of Delhi residents have to travel to Sonipat for essential work and similar is the situation for Sonipat residents and they are being stopped by the Haryana authorities at the borders.

Gupta said the District Magistrate of Sonipat has imposed blanket cross-border transit restrictions between the two cities and granted exemptions to only a few categories of government officials and for movement of goods not destined for there.

(With inputs from ANI and IANS.)