Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders yesterday reacted sharply to a new Kerala government order which insists on a Covid-19 negative certificate from all those arriving from abroad on chartered flights.
The new order will become applicable from June 20.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said it was surprising that the Pinarayi Vijayan government which passed a unanimous resolution in the Kerala assembly to bring back all Kerala expatriates without any testing, has now come out with a totally different order.
It was on March 12 that the Kerala assembly passed the resolution, after the Civil Aviation Ministry demanded a Covid-19 negative certificate from those coming from Italy and South Korea.
“This new guideline is not applicable to those coming on Vande Bharat flights. It’s sad that those coming on chartered flights are those who do not have any money and now with this new direction they will have to spend from their pocket. This is totally unacceptable and this irresponsible order should be withdrawn,” said Chennithala.
“What’s even more surprising is that the Covid negative certificate should not be older than 48 hours before the flight departs.
We fail to understand the logic; what actually needs to be done is, there should be a pre-departure health check-up. And once they arrive, they should be asked to follow the isolation/quarantine norms. This somersault is not acceptable at all,” Chennithala added.
According to sources, a Covid test in the Middle east costs Rs7,000 and it takes two to seven days to get the Covid negative certificate.
Federal Minister of State for External Affairs and BJP leader V Muraleedharan expressed shock at this turnaround by the Kerala government.
“Such a rule is not there in any state. This new rule is the least practical. This is a cruel order and hugely detrimental to the Kerala diaspora waiting to return,” Muraleedharan said.
Senior Indian Union Muslim League leader and Lok Sabha member P K Kunhalikutty said this order should be immediately withdrawn as it is going to create problems for many who were ready to travel on chartered flights.
Various organisations in the Middle East are operating around 100 chartered flights in June.
Vijayan had on June 3 said the only conditions the government had set for passengers coming by chartered flights were that the fare should be comparable with that of the Vande Bharat flights, and preference should be given to women and the elderly.
Close to 400,000 Keralites have registered on the Norka-Roots web portal, expressing their desire to return.
Till Friday, over 60,000 people had already arrived.
The sudden turnaround is on account of the spike in cases, especially after May 7 when the first flight from the Middle East arrived in the state.
The state witnessed another day of high number of new Covid-19 cases yesterday as 85 people tested positive, taking the tally to 1,342.
“Of the 85, 53 came from abroad, 18 from other states, 10 were local people and four health professionals,” Health Minister K K Shailaja said.
“As of today, 1,045 people have been cured,” she said yesterday.
There are 2,35,418 people under observation at homes, care centres and 1,989 in hospitals. During the day, two hot pots were added and 13 were excluded, taking the total to 117.
The lockdown was observed on all Sundays in the state. But with the central government allowing opening of places of worship and some exams scheduled for today, permission has been granted to those who wished to travel.
But with all denominations of the Kerala churches deciding to wait, it remains to be seen if any church would open.
A woman rides past a mural painted on a garbage dump after the government eased a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the Covid-19, in New Delhi yesterday.
