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EPS to take final call on doing away with e-pass system: Minister
A day after the Centre asked State governments not to restrict the movement of persons and goods, Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar said any announcement on doing away with it would come from Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar added that cancelling the system would pose a challenge to the department in tracing people as part of pandemic control measures.
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Chennai
Union Home Secretary Ajay Balla wrote to all Chief Secretaries asking them to do away with the system of e-pass and lift all restrictions on inter and intra-State movement of goods and services.
However, when asked about it, Revenue and Information Technology Minister RB Udhayakumar said the State government had already relaxed the process involved in issuing e-pass. Any decision on cancelling the system would be announced by Chief Minister, he added.
Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar added that lifting the e-pass system would pose a huge challenge to the health officials, making it difficult for the authorities to trace the movement of people.
Meanwhile, pointing out the latest direction from the Centre, activists here urged the State government to cancel the system of e-pass.
“The restriction on travelling between states and within the State should be immediately lifted. Also, the restrictions on transporting goods between states should be eased,” said social activist A Sankar, executive director, Empower, an Thoothukudi-based NGO. Sankar added that with e-pass being issued to all applicants, there was no purpose in having the system.
Another activist M Kalaichelvi, founding president of Tamil Nadu Swadeshi Women Protection Association, said the State should follow the Centre’s direction in this regard. “The government is keen on reopening Tasmac shops for revenue but is hesitating to cancel e-pass system,” she alleged.
Initially, the passes were issued only for emergencies like deaths, medical emergencies and marriages.
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