the goan I network
CANACONA
While the state’s borders have been closed and its major roads and most internal paths have been sealed to prevent people from entering the State during the lockdown, some outsiders have found yet another route to enter the State: the railway tracks at Loliem.
People in Canacona have voiced serious concern after claiming that people from neighbouring Karwar district in Karnataka, which has a high number of COVID-19 cases, have been entering the State via the Loliem-Majali railway tunnel.
Responding to concerns that people from Karwar were found crossing the border through this railway tunnel to enter in Goa, Canacona
police has posted a police team to guard the railway tracks near the Loliem Konkan Railway Station, where there is a tunnel between Loliem and Majali in Karnataka.
A police team has begun guarding the railway tracks near the tunnel on the Loliem side.
On Sunday, a group of youth observed policemen patrolling in the hot sun and erected a temporary shed to offer some respite to the policemen on duty.
Incidentally, movement of people by boats has also come under scrutiny after some locals had filmed a few youth leaving by motor boats at Polem beach.
Locals have claimed this has become a growing practice for people from across the border to leave by motor boats by taking the advantage of darkness. Demanding a stop to such movement of people by boats across the State border during the lockdown, the locals have requested the Canacona police to station a police team at the beach as well.
Meanwhile, people are still apprehensive about the Polem border check post and claimed that some people in vehicles regularly enter Goa and leaving the state at will, making mockery of the lockdown.
In a post on a WhatsApp group, a local, Nishant, wrote: “Approximately 200 to 300 vehicles entering from Polem daily..is it safe? What type of lockdown is this? If anyone visits the check post you will notice there is no lockdown. CM should look into this matter.”
Reacting to the post, GPCC General Secretary Janardhan Bhandari said some days ago, the Loliem-Polem sarpanch had stated that the Polem border was 100% sealed.
Nishant then replied that vehicles in large numbers had been found entering the State since Friday.
