Haryana has opened interstate borders but situation to be assessed daily: Home Minister Vij

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said that the state reopened the borders according to the Centre's fresh guidelines but if needed curbs could be imposed on the border. The Haryana government had on Sunday issued fresh guidelines for the next phase of lockdown and decided to open its interstate borders, including those with Delhi from June 1.

Chandigarh: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday indicated that if the situation demanded curbs could be reimposed on the state's borders, reopened in line with Centre's fresh guidelines on exiting coronavirus lockdown.

Vij said that the situation at the borders will be assessed daily.

"The Centre has said there shall be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of persons and goods. At the same time, they have given the states the right to make their own assessment of the situation and take action based on that," Vij told reporters.

"We will assess the situation daily. If the need is felt, we have the right to take action and we will take it," said Vij, who also holds the health department portfolio.

The Haryana government had on Sunday issued fresh guidelines for the next phase of lockdown and decided to open its interstate borders, including those with Delhi from June 1 and places of worship, hotels and malls from June 8.

Seeking to follow the Centre's guidelines for the next phase of lockdown, starting June 1, the state government also decided to allow interstate movement of people and goods.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar held a meeting with some of his senior ministers including Vij and officials on late Sunday evening and took a call on the Centre's fresh lockdown guidelines, termed as Unlock 1.0'.

It was decided in the meeting that there will be no restriction on interstate and interdistrict movements of people and goods, a state government statement had said after the three-hour meeting.

Vij had justified the earlier sealing of the borders with the national capital, saying coronavirus cases in Haryana would have been at par with Delhi had they not taken the step.

The Haryana government had maintained that a spurt in infection has been due to rising cases in districts adjoining the national capital owing to the cross-border movement of people from Delhi.

In the fresh guidelines issued on Saturday, the Centre said there shall be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods and no separate permission, approval or e-permit will be required for such movements.

However, the Centre made it clear that if a state/UT, based on reasons of public health and its assessment of the situation, proposes to regulate movement of persons, it will give wide publicity in advance regarding the restrictions to be placed on such movement, and the related procedures to be followed.

Meanwhile, Vij on Monday also said that the shops will remain open from 9 am to 7 pm.

"For shops in market places, it has been decided that they will open daily without any 'left-right' or 'odd-even' system from 9 am to 7 pm and the shops will remain shut for a day as per whatever is their weekly day off," he said.

During the lockdown earlier, the shops used to open on the left side of the road on one day and on right side the other day and shops with odd number were allowed to open on one day while the following day shops having even number would open the other day.

The deputy commissioner concerned can, however, impose suitable restrictions in highly congested markets depending on their own assessment.

PTI Report