Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Aug 3: Kerala government's move to close its border with Dakshina Kannada as a measure to regulate spread of coronavirus infection has given rise to a critical situation to many people who depend on the city for their employment, and they are under compulsion to cross the border every day to earn a living. Frustrated by the ordeal, they have started an online campaign to put pressure on Kerala government to clear the border restrictions.

Team Sahayatri has begun the campaign with the #savemyjob. They have urged the district collector of Kasargod to facilitate people of Kasargod visiting Mangaluru to continue to work in Mangaluru. Requests are being made to Kasargod district collector through emails and WhatsApp messages. A large number of people depend on the city for their employment and they have in unison urged for removing the border restrictions.

Prathviraj, a chartered accountant from Kasargod working here, says that he and people like him are forced to stay put at Kasargod as the border is closed. He says that he has been unable to work and as such, his pay is being cut. He points out that as per the order of the district administration of Kasargod, if a person goes to Mangaluru by registering his name, he cannot return to Kasargod for 28 days. "I am one among those who are employed in Mangaluru but have no accommodation there. Even hotels and lodges in Mangaluru are not renting out rooms to people from other states. As a result, many have lost their jobs already," he has said.

Another such employee, Hariprasad Kumble, says that he already has spent four months without pay. He is badly in need of employment to maintain his family.

Kasargod district collector, Dr D Sajith Babu, had recently relaxed the restrictions for bank employees and doctors visiting Mangaluru from Kasargod, with the rule that they have to use private vehicles. Other employees have no such concession. The companies where people from Kasargod are employed, have been pressurizing the employees either to work or resign.

Guru Vikram points out that as per the guidelines of the union home ministry, inter-state border restrictions have been removed. He says that Kerala government has unnecessarily been heaping miseries on border area people. He wants to know whether the central government orders are not valid in Kerala. Akshaya Krishna said he and many others have lost their employment because of border restrictions. He wanted to know whether Kerala government is right in closing the border against the central government order.

Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner Dr K V Rajendra, said he will soon hold discussions with Kasargod district collector in an effort to solve this problem soon. Kasargod district collector Dr D Sajit Babu, said that he would be holding a meeting with revenue minister E Chandrashekharan on Monday August 3 where the border restriction issue will also be discussed.