Well organised process at AP-TS checkpost on NH

Ramapuram cross roads sees “class people”

ASHA workers at the Ramapuram inter-State border checkpost in Suryapet, marking the ‘home quarantine’ stamp on the left hand of a person from Telangana coming back from Andhra Pradesh.

Unlike the Vadapalli inter-State border checkpost in Nalgonda, where the stranded had to wait for inordinate hours or walk the river to cross over to Andhra Pradesh, the Ramapuram border control between the Telugu States on the NH-65 (Vijayawada-Hyderabad) offers comfortable transfer.

Spread over a dozen tables to receive incoming returnees from AP, the checkpost, manned by at least 50 officials of the three departments — Health, Revenue and Police — record department-wise entries, and one can be assured of leaving the spot under 30 minutes.

A returnee after recording his/her outgoing entry with AP police about 200 metres away on the other side, reaches the check post tent here, and has to walk the ‘L counters’ to complete the compulsory procedure.

“First, they register their vehicle with the RTA officials, discuss health history with the on-duty doctor and submit passes and documents to the Revenue. The three departments record entries again, separately,” explained officials.

Quarantine stamp

“Compulsorily, each person’s temperature is noted down and the left hand stamped with 14-day ‘home quarantine stamp’ in indelible ink, and then they can leave.” A separate counter converges all the details and updates online reports every two hours.

Major difference in procedure at Vadapalli border checkpost in Nalgonda, is that there are few stampings, even few temperature checks, RTA officials are absent, and the exercise is largely driven by the police authority to prevent any law and order situation.

Well organised

“When Vadapalli and Ramapuram are compared. That is mass, this is class. This is a major post on the National Highway between the Telugu States, and most people come prepared with passes and in private vehicles,” police personnel in khaki tents on the opposite side, who only check and record outgoing numbers, said.

According to Chilkur Tahsildar J. Srinivas Sharma, in-charge of the post, a total of 3, 435 people in 1698 vehicles crossed into Telangana since May 2 till May 7 afternoon. And the District Collector has issued 114 passes for the 554 persons belonging to AP who reached the checkpost without passes to enter their State, he said.

All things considered there are two noticeable points.

Walking migrants

Luggage-carrying migrants from Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar walk the empty highway night and day, they are not stopped and their details are not recorded.

And, whether ‘mass or class’, all persons entering into Telangana can be seen violating the physical distance norm at the checkpost. And Mr. Sharma continues with the alerts over the public address system.