Meghalaya Deputy Chief minister defends entry restrictions in state

Guwahati: Although the Centre is apparently peeved with the Meghalaya government for not lifting the ban on unhindered entry of people, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has claimed that the protection of the local populace from the COVID-19 pandemic weighs supreme.

"We are not defying the orders of the Home Ministry, but some regulations had become imperative to contain the spread of the virus," Tynsong said.

The Meghalaya government respects the directions of the Ministry. Tynsong, however, said that "the state government is also responsible to ensure that the state is safe from COVID-19".

As per reports, the implications are that all the five major entry points of the state would remain closed for entry of persons from September 1 for a week and thereafter every month till November.

The minister informed, "We are not closing down everything but we need to regulate things and regulations have to be in place in view of the spike in the number of positive cases in the state."

It was not known how the Home Ministry would view the decision of the state after the announcement of Unlock 4.0 on August 29 by the MHA in which the Ministry reiterated again that "there shall be no restrictions on the interstate and intrastate movement of persons and goods, besides withdrawal of e-permit system for entry in the state."

Tysong also said that though entry points would be closed for a week the government will be allowing movement of essential services and transportation of essential commodities. "It is not a total closure of entry points", he insisted.

Tynsong also defended the decision of the government by restating that the health workers in these designated entry points are working 24X7 and they need to be given a break. He added that the period would also be used for disinfecting the entry points.

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