e-registration for entry to Himachal Pradesh leads to confusion

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 26

The state government has made e-registration for people coming to the state mandatory from tomorrow. Utter confusion prevails among people of Kangra and Una districts that share borders with Punjab regarding the new restrictions. Many Himachal residents, who live or go to Punjab, for personal or official purposes, are clueless about what to do as the government has not even publicised the procedure for registration.

Option of monthly pass on the e-portal

• Every person coming to the state will have to register on covidepass.hp.gov.in.
• Himachal residents will also have to register every time they enter or leave the state
• People coming from Covid hotspots will have to produce RTPCR test negative report
• A fter registration, a QR code will be generated that will be scanned on the borders
• Commercial vehicles carrying essential items exempt

Seema Sharma, a resident of Una, told The Tribune that she went to meet her brother in Chandigarh yesterday. She was to return tomorrow but is now clueless about what to do.

Rakesh Sharma, a resident of Shahpur, has gone to Chandigarh for an official meeting but would be required to get an RT-PCR negative test report to return to the state.

Thousands of people, including traders, and workers, go to Punjab for various reasons. Last year, when the government enforced restrictions on the borders, utter chaos prevailed.

Rakesh Prajapati, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, said that every person coming to the state would have to register on covidepass.hp.gov.in. After registration, a QR code would be generated that would be scanned on the borders, he added.

He said even Himachal residents would have to register every time they enter or leave the state. People coming from Covid hotspots would have to produce an RT-PCR test negative report to enter the state, he added.

However, commercial vehicles carrying essential commodities would be exempted from the condition of registration. People, who work in industries in Punjab and commute daily, would be allowed to go after inquiry, he added.

Prajapati said the aim of the restrictions was to check Himachal residents coming from Covid hotspots and ensure that they remain in home quarantine for at least 14 days or else undergo the RT-PCR test.

Deputy Commissioner, Una, Raghav Sharma said that the restrictions would be enforced from tomorrow midnight. He added that there was an option to generate a monthly pass on the e-portal.

Sources say even officials are not clear on how to implement the orders. Congress leaders Sudhir Sharma and former minister GS Bali have termed the government measures as ill-planned that will only harass Himachal residents and tourists.

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