Claims by officials on following a ‘liberal policy’ on issuance of e-pass notwithstanding, applicants continue to face problems in getting permission to travel to inter-district destinations.
During the initial stage of the lockdown, the National Informatics Centres (NIC) functioning in district Collectorates were entrusted with the task of receiving, processing and granting e-passes for the general public, who wanted to travel from one place to another for attending marriages, funeral and medical emergencies. A software of NIC was used for it. Subsequently, the State government handed over the responsibility of issuing passes to the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency. District Collectors were given powers to grant the e-passes. People, who seek passes, have to log on to the website at https://tnepass.tnega.org The portal is accessible through mobile phones as well.
The website enables individuals and organisations to apply for e-passes for movement of people or employees. Organisations will have to upload their GST registration certificate/Udyog Aadhaar as proof and must follow the standard operating procedure as detailed along with any other orders issued by the government, and details of vehicles permitted for transporting employees.
While tech savvy people find it easy to apply e-pass online, there are many, who find the procedure very tough. They have to depend on the younger generation to apply for e-pass. As per the portal, people can apply e-passes mainly for medical emergencies, marriages and deaths. The system does not permit for those intending to travel for other reasons. In the absence of other options, it is being speculated that the applicants are forced to mention false reasons while applying for e-pass. Many say that their applications are rejected invariably and only a few manage to get passes.
“No one applies for e-pass without any valid reason. But, most of applications are rejected. There is no need for e-pass system when the public transport is completely off. Otherwise, life will come to a standstill. The ambit of e-passes should atleast be increased,” says Ghouse Baig, a consumer activist in Tiruchi.
However, senior officials in Tiruchi insist that a liberal approach is being followed on grant of e-pass. All genuine applications are approved, an official said.
Tiruchi district on an average receives 1,600 to 1800 applications daily for general purposes. The number of applications for industrial purposes hovers between 700 and 800 a day. Though reasons cited for many passes are found to be incorrect around 600 to 700 e-passes are issued daily, a senior official told The Hindu .
Since, April, the district had received 2,74,461 applications for e-passes. Of them, 93,954 were approved. As far as industry passes were concerned, out of 20,034 applications, 5,274 were approved until Sunday.
