Hundreds of people from Karwar marched to the Goa border at Polem check post on Saturday and demanded the opening of Goa’s border as per central government directives by September 1, failing which they have threatened to block Goa-registered vehicles from entering Karnataka from September 5.
CANACONA
Accusing the Goa government ofdestroying the brotherhood between the two states by continuing to enforce SOPsdespite MHA directives, the Karwar locals have also threatened to stop allvehicles bringing essential commodities into Goa through Karnataka.
Besides fish from Karnatakaand Kerala, much of Goa’s vegetables, milk, livestock, eggs, etc is transportedto Goa via the Polem border check post.
Police teams from both sidesof the borders were present and the Karnataka police team was stationed rightat the Goa gate to prevent any possible attempt by agitators to cross the Goagate, while the Goa police team remained alert inside the State's border.
The protestors first assembledabout 20 mtrs from Goa’s border in the neutral area between the Polem bordercheck post and the Majali check post in Karwar-Karnataka, chanting slogansagainst Goa government’s decision to continue the restrictions and failing torestore the inter-state (cross-border) movement as per MHA directives. Theyclaimed that Karnataka had immediately enforced the same MHA directives attheir check post.
Leading the agitation fromKarwar, students union leader Raghu Naik, Zilla District President BhaskarPatkar, taxi union leader Sandip Naik, rickshaw union leader Santosh Naik,accused the Goa government of being insensitive despite close ties between thepeople of Goa and Karwar and the fact that the both states and the centre weregoverned by the same political party.
Stating that their MLA hadspoken to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and had been assured that Goa’s borderat Polem check post would be opened by September 1, the Karwar protestors thensought to handover a memorandum to Canacona Dy Collector Satish Prabhu.
Prabhu, however, advised themto hand over the memorandum to the Karwar District Commissioner, who would thenforward it to the Goa government.
Raghu Naik also tried to enterthe gate along with four others by paying Rs 2000 each to see if Covid testswould be conducted on them.
The protestors later dispersedafter threatening to return with a larger group of people and members ofvarious associations and groups on September 5, if restrictions to enter Goawere not lifted by September 1.
“If restrictions to enter Goaare not lifted by September 1, we will stop all transport from Goa fromSeptember 5. We promise not to damage anything, but we will stop allGoa-registered vehicles in any part of Karwar or Karnataka,” warned Raghu Naik.
“We will also prevent vehiclescarrying essential or other commodities from entering Goa at Polem border fromSeptember 5,” he added.
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Polem check post not closed: Dy Collector
CANACONA: Canacona DeputyCollector Satish Prabhu insisted that Goa’s border at the Polem check post hadnot been closed, as had been claimed by protestors from Karwar.
“Our Polem check post isalways open and it is not closed as you claim. Even now you can see vehicles passingacross the border.”
“Goa is only enforcing thehealth protocol and under this SOP, anyone entering Goa State can opt foreither of three options, a Covid negative certificate (valid for 48 hours fromthe time of issue), a 14-day home quarantine or to pay a fee of Rs 2,000 to getthe Covid test done,” Prabhu told the protestors.
