Team Herald
Canacona: Hundreds of locals of Karwar and neighbouring areas gathered in solidarity at the Pollem check-post in protest on Saturday morning over restrictions of movement of people from Karnataka to Goa.
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The group raised slogans in Konkani and Kannada against the decisions taken by the government of Goa for continuing to keep the restrictions for free movement of people from Karnataka into Goa in spite of central government instructions on allowing free movement of people across the borders of states.
The Pollem border separates the taluka of Canacona from the town of Karwar in Karnataka in the extreme south of Goa.
Both Goa and Karwar share cultural, religious and regional ties with each other and there are many locals from Uttar Kannada district living in Goa for different purposes one of which is employment and need to cross the border to go to their home state often.
Due to the absence of quality health services in the district they also depend on Goa for treatment of patients from there.
The speakers vehemently opposed the unilateral decision of the Goa government to charge Rs 2000 and to undergo COVID test in spite the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines to allow free movement of people and goods across borders of all the states in India.
Incidentally, at the Pollem border, one has to pay a sum of Rs 2000 per person for the COVID test in order to gain entry into the state of Goa, while no such fee has to be paid to enter the state of Karnataka through the same border they said.
“While fish, vegetables and other commodities are given free and unrestricted entry into Goa, why is it that a single person has to pay Rs 2000 to step foot into the state questioned the agitated Karwar locals.
To prevent the protesters from going out of control, about 25 police were summoned from Canacona police station while 50 Karwar police personnel stayed at the site till the agitators dispersed by 12 noon.
The protesters arrived at the Pollem gate at 9.30 am and waited till the Deputy Collector of Canacona, Satish Prabu arrived at the scene along with the Mamlatdar of Canacona Vimod Dalal while Canacona PI Tukaram Chavan was stationed at the Pollem check post to avert any untoward incident arising out of the protest by Karwar locals.
After explaining their demands to the local government authorities the agitating Karwar locals requested access through the Goa gate to see how the tests for COVID-19 are conducted but the deputy collector denied them entry.
About the submission of the memorandum to the deputy collector, he instructed them to submit it to their Sub Divisional Magistrate in Karwar who in turn can hand it over to him or the Collector of South Goa.
Furthermore, the Collector informed the people gathered that the gate is open to all but as per the Goa government protocol, an authorized COVID negative certificate is necessary. He explained the Goa SOP of mandatory 14 days quarantine, or paying Rs 2000 and getting their swab tested.
While raising slogans against the Goa government the speakers warned that if the Pollem gate is not opened by September 1 then they will turn up at Mazali check post in thousands and block all the Goa vehicles from coming into their state.
To a pointed question whether they will allow the fish, vegetable and fruit vehicles into Goa the crowd in one voice said that they will block everything going into Goa.
District students union president Raghu Naik who spearheaded the agitation while speaking complained that Goa is the only state in India which till now has kept the border gates closed and it looks like it is acting high-handedly by openly defying the central government guidelines.
Naik informed that the Goa CM has assured the Karwar MLA Rupa Naik over a phone call conversation that Pollem gate will be opened on September 1.
Others who spoke in their demand to open the gate were
Jana Shakthi Hithrakshana Vedike president Satish Kolombkar, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike district president Bashkar Patkar, Karwar Taxi Union president Santosh Naik, Electrical Association President B S Prabhu and some corporators of Karwar Municipal Council.
