Bengaluru: Thousands of people returning to Karnataka from Tamil Nadu using the government’s Seva Sindhu services portal found themselves in a fix at the border after being presented with two options — pay for a 14-day institutional quarantine or go back.
Speaking to ThePrint, many such people claimed that they were forced to turn back in the last couple of days, from different points of the state border, as they couldn’t pay Rs 14,000-16,000 for quarantine in a hotel.
Sunil Shastri, a student who wants to return to Bengaluru, spoke to ThePrint over the phone from Hosur, a border town in Tamil Nadu.
“I am a student studying in Chennai. My family lives in Bengaluru. After my hostel closed down, I have been trying to get back home. Now when I reached here, I was told I have to stay in a hotel in Electronic City paying Rs 1,200 per day or go back. How can we pay that kind of amount?” Shastri asked.
Supriya Yadav, who had gone to attend a wedding in Tamil Nadu’s Salem and got stuck after the nationwide lockdown was announced in March, said she had applied on the Seva Sindhu app and had an e-pass to cross over to Karnataka. But when she reached the border, police officers reportedly told her that she had to quarantine herself at a hotel and not at home, or return.
“I work in Bengaluru and stay far away from my family. I won’t be able to afford to pay Rs 16,000 just to stay in a hotel. I begged the officer to take my number, and monitor me 24/7. I promised I won’t leave my home. They just said, pay or go back,” she said.
Several questions were raised on Karnataka’s Covid helpline as well as on social media over the issue, said sources associated with the helpline.
In a video shot by one of the returnees at Attibele, the first entry point into Bengaluru from Tamil Nadu, a police officer could be heard telling people: “Those who are entering Bengaluru city or Bengaluru district, you have two options. One has to undergo 14-day hotel quarantine. The revenue officials have arranged for hotels in Electronic City which costs Rs 1,200 per day. You can quarantine yourself there. The second option is — go back. You have just these two options.”
The Bengaluru police, however, said such an announcement should not have been done by any officer.
“As police, our job is to provide protection. But if my officers have been found announcing in such a way, it is wrong. We will further sensitise them on how to go about their duties,” Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, Ravi Channannavar told ThePrint.
“We will follow MHA guidelines on people who need to undergo quarantine. There are three ways of doing it — people can opt for institutional quarantine, if found symptomatic will be sent to a Covid hospital, or if they cannot afford will be asked to undergo 14 days quarantine in a government facility.”
The B.S. Yediyurappa government issued an order Monday making the 14-day institutional quarantine compulsory for all those returning to the state. The order aims to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the state government, over 1.25 lakh people had applied from other states to return to Karnataka through the Seva Sindhu app.
Also read: These UP, Bihar migrants have opted to ‘sleep hungry with family’ than die alone in cities
What the government says
Asked about the complaints, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan said the government has made adequate free stay arrangements in government hostels and institutions to accommodate those who are unable to pay.
“We have 7,000 government institutions ready to help people undergo the quarantine period. I have spoken to the chief secretary as well as the nodal officer to ensure that people who cannot afford paying for their quarantine in hotels be given clean accommodation,” Narayan told ThePrint.
Another government official said only those who want to stay in hotels have been asked to pay. There are other facilities available for free.
“All those people who have approved e-passes were given information about free and paid arrangements though SMS and voice message individually,” said Ajay Seth, one of the nodal officers for Covid-19 operations.
“The government has made arrangements for institutional quarantine in hostels, kalyan mandaps, schools, etc without any charges. Those wanting to stay in a hotel have to pay,” added Seth, who is also the managing director of Namma Metro.
Also read: Karnataka IAS officer transferred days after warning employers against pay cuts
Iam working in banglore, can i go back to Kerala my hone town due to medical emergencies on as soon as possible
I just want my mom age 65 years and son 14 years of age to reach banglore railway station to catch a sarmik tran to mumbai. But I have no idea what to do. And how to reach banglore railway station. Pls kindly help and guide us. Contact no 9768864850.
Pls help we are stuck here and cannot go out and enquire due to growing positive cases in Chennai also the auto people are charging so much that we can effort there fare
To Central Govt. / State Govt.,
This is for your notice…
I’am Sathyanarayanan C from Chennai Tamilnadu, past eight years (2012 to present) working in a Private Company at Bengaluru Karnataka. I was came as an usual weekend
visit to my home town on 21-3-2020,by booking in KSRTC bus portal on 15th March 2020 Depature date 20-3-2020 Friday with a return ticket (22-3-2020) Sunday. But the
KSRTC has cancelled my return ticket on 21-3-2020 and also our PM. Mr. Modi has announced an one day trial lockdown on 22-3-2020 and later on 24-3-2020 again
announced complete Lockdown and it’s still going on. Due to this I’am unable to go back to work at Bengaluru and also I’m paying the Rent along water & power bill
without using it. Since I’m associated with our company as they asked me to support for company I have started work from home remotely from 27-3-2020 to present,
they have paid salary for March to April months and later from may 4th they have annouced that they not going to pay anymore without physical presence at office.
Currently I have only option is to travel by flight or by Road (360Kms) from chennai to Bengaluru, it will cost more than 3,000 and if we reached at
bengaluru again have to pay for Institutional Quarantine may “cost more the 10,000 for a week” after that need to continue home qurantine for a Week.
Announcing many rules and regulations has been making us to bother through many issues including Job loss, so that kindly consider this issues and make a necessary
arrangement by testing for Covid19 at their own States and provide the test certificate to whoever wants to travel to other States, if they are not having any
health issues.
Expecting for your valuable solutions.
Sathyanarayanan C
Chennai, Tamilnadu
31-5-2020
Mr. narendra Modi sir,
Pls stop this lockdown extension atleast for 1 week. Allow everyone to reach their home by the time. And Karnataka CM sir
Mr. Yeddiyurappa , pls put a pause for this hotelQuarantine and home quarantine is demanding by people. You should allow people to get back to their houses instead of returning back. It is everyone’s right to go to their places.
N there should be a stright follow up by people for using mask, sanitizers, social distancing…
Afterwards you can go for lockdown for 2-3 weeks.
Sir, this is a request by all.
People who stay in apartments should be allowed as almost every apartment has an association and home quarantine can be monitored through the associations. Paid hotel or unpaid accommodations is prone to all infections including corona.
Is there any helpline number we can contact? We need to relocate to Bangalore by June. Please help some
This is KA help line number
Mr. narendra Modi sir,
Pls stop this lockdown extension atleast for 1 week. Allow everyone to reach their home by the time. And Karnataka CM sir
Mr. Yeddiyurappa , pls put a pause for this hotelQuarantine and home quarantine is demanding by people. You should allow people to get back to their houses instead of returning back. It is everyone’s right to go to their places.
N there should be a stright follow up by people for using mask, sanitizers, social distancing…
Afterwards you can go for lockdown for 2-3 weeks.
Sir, this is a request by all.
It’s been 3 months staying at relatives home in tamilnadu.I am working in banglore and have a rented home there..I have to go back .Is there any possibility to return back to Bangalore
I am working in a manufacturing company at SIPCOT Hosur and used to travel daily from Electronic city, Bangalore to and fro. In such case, how can I get pass or permission from concerned authority. In my case WFH is not possible.
My 2 daughters age 6 and 13 years are in Tamil Nadu for past 2 months 11 days with my parents.. Now my elder daughter has started her online classes also and my younger one is crying badly to come back. It’s so pathetic we are unable to get them to Bangalore.. We ve tried n number of ways but still the Karnataka govt says they both have to go for institutional quarantine..and when I asked about their safety they say we don’t know… We ve been following rules during this lock down.. Every lock down we will think yes once this lock down will get over there will be some relaxation to get the kids back home.. But it’s not getting over… We are asking for home quarantine where the bbmp people can watch over them… I don’t know when this situation will come down when I will meet my kids… Now while applying for epass thru secs Sindhu in state travelling option they ve removed Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujrat… Plz Mr CM do something for the people who are stranded in other states… And also what guarantee institutional quarantine is better than home quarantine…
I work in Bangalore and have a kid of 4 month old I want to return back to Bangalore to be with my husband and join office. But afraid to do so since institutional quarantine is not safe whether paid or unpaid. I have small kid government should understand our problem and allow home quarantine. We are educated enough to understand the importance of being quarantine. Please allow home quarantine I am missing my family and want to go back.
can some one answer these questions, Is liquor more safe to open during this period,
Is Institutional Quarantine more safe than a home quarantine for a person who has been away from home for almost 3 months and that itself is a quarantine. i cannot afford that huge price for 14 days, 2 months salary ha.
Isnt AAdhar card with my bangalore address enough to prove i am from Bangalore, and i should be allowed to enter my bangalore, then why unnessary documentation for E pass. Why isnt flights safe, Flights take lesser time to reach than the trains, so why isnt government giving permission for flights to start. Corona is the same for every person, and why is each state having a different rule to follow. After all these confusions i cancelled my tickets today and stayed here in the forest area happily. i am getting food to eat am graceful to this company who has fed me all these days.
My friend revathi is in Tamil Nadu and she wants to come to Banglore. Any Possibilities to come banglore to reach office?
We need to shift to Bangalore by June as I m joining my new job at Bangalore. If this is the situation how will we be able to move? Is there no option other than Institutional quarantine? I ve two kids under 5 years age. Institutional quarantine is risky. Please understand we r not trying to roam in Bangalore we need survival and it is a valid reason. Please help us.
I am an IT Engineer who got stuck due to lockdown in Orissa and now more than 3 months in Orissa and want to be back home in Karnataka and work from home I preferred air travel as it’s safe but now returning to my home town Karnataka has become a nightmare spend for flights then instead of being with my family be in an hotel for 2 weeks and then spend all my salary and work in hotel.if internet facilities not good then your work.will
be hampered and we may loose our job Now I have to think twice should I return back home or stay back my campus too is closing.I donno what to do missing my family too We are sensible enough to understand what is home quarentine and will follow all norms as we care about our families it’s only uneducated senseless who dont follow rules please understand and based on the history of stay decide home or institutional quarentine ?
Hi Sandhya I’m also stuck in Odisha Bhubaneswar from 11th march, my home town is Bangalore.
Even I’m afraid of going to Bangalore due to Quarantine at Hotel .
Regards
Mohan
8951667788
It’s unfair to take such a decision by the Karnataka govt . It’s better if they ask us to b quarantined in home and check with the police of their locality for 14days.
I received the pass to travel from Mumbai to Madurai passing through Karnataka. am I allowed to enter Karnataka to reach my hometown as this is not clearly written anywhere because we just saw the news that Karnataka is ban entry from four states
Do only home quarntine ..this institutional quarantine is very dangerous ..if sone one stays there for 14 days he wl get covid 19
Please allow the families with children to undergo home quarantine.
I am from Tamilnadu and working in Bangalore. We came to our village with family before lockdown and got stuck here. Now we are come back to Bangalore. Please allow the families with children to undergo home quarantine.
I applied for epass to enter Karnataka from Tamil Nadu… I received epass from Tamil Nadu. . Yet to get response from karnataka sevasindhu online.. pls let me know if anyone receives epass from karnataka to enter to Bangalore.
Thanks
My husband is trying to come to Bangalore. Am staying alone with my 6yr old son. It’s been already 2 months since we saw my husband. How can the government assure that these institutional quarantine is safe than home quarantine? That will be the worst thing to do. We were supposed to shift to Chennai now this condition. Please think about the families who are separated like us. It’s too much.
Same here madam, I had to cancel my ticket as karnataka government is forcing institution Quarantine and i cannot afford it, It is like my 2 months salary. I just stay here as i am getting food to eat. Next decide before we vote.
I have been applying pass to leave Karnataka and there is no response from epass portal for more than 3 days now I have pass approved from the other state.They keep saying I will get response but never got one. This is soo bad service from Karnataka’s end !!
My condition is pathetic. I am away from children since 3 months. I am at my hometown in Orissa. When I travel from Bangalore to Orissa in 1st week of Feb I was not aware of this virus in India. Later I got stuck when was trying to go back to Bangalore. On videocall asking school boys to cook, wash, clean, get protect themself is a nightmare. They are exhausted, missing us both a lot. Want to go back but this institutional quarantine is dangerous risky to be infected, rather please allow to self quarantine.
Don’t worry…They will fine..As soon as possible…You will meet your childrens..
I have a valid question to who ever is handling the situation …why was I sent home and then called for institution . I stay with my husband for two days and then was told for institution makes no sense , now staying in hotel or in a room at home is same in this situation as I already went home and stayed with him .
We both are doctors and have been serving the society since our teenage . We are well versed with the responsibility in this covid situation also , according to me home quarantine and institution is same in my case . Please take decisions sanely and help me .
Due to this unpleasant decision made by the Karnataka Government, it wont be a surprise if next time, HARDLY 50 PEOPLE WILL TRAVEL TO BENGALURU. Is this justified? Disgusting.
hi please allow home quarantine as its been more then 3 months i m away from my house , and after reaching to karnataka , 14 days institutional quarantine is quite impossible.
I am from myore.I came to kerala for a function along with my children and aged Father (86).wife is at myMyso. We are diabetes. Now compulsory quarantine will invite health issues. We have independent houses. Govt should see the situation and take decision.
It’s been five months I have visited my home in Tamil Nadu just 300km’s away from Bangalore. Last two months I have been staying at home and working . I want to visit my home now , due to this I am afraid to leave Bangalore as the institutional quarantine is in place and not sure how long it will be followed.Home quarantine would be the best option to be followed at this situation with strict rules.
The Karnataka Government decision to compulsory quarantine the stranded people returning Home from other State even if found Asymptotic is not Justified & acceptable.
The Kerala State Govt. is sending such people for Home quarantine & only on option by the people who don’t have facilities & prefer hotel/ institution are Considered for such .
The Karnataka Government is straight away asking people to prefer hotel on payment or Hostels, Government institution free is not correct since, we all know about the hygienic condition of both weather Paid/free & chances of infection are more in such public places where people take turns in quarantine.
It is therefore, advised to consider the request of People for Home quarantine for those, who are Asymptotic & whose medical result shows negative.
Further, many People have already suffered a lot in other States for the last 50 plus days & are eager to go Home & also it is wasteful unwanted expense to bear even when they are Healthy in these hard days.
The Karnataka Government may therefore, issue modified orders at the earliest to the needs of the People.
I work in Bangalore i stuck in Coimbatore during. Lock down if i want to return they ask to quartine for 14 days in hotel which we need yo pay our own i have asked then why they gave the epass in seva sindu for that they have no answer and ask to return back. now house owners also worrying we came from different place were we will go and stay government should take necessary step
I have two kids accompanying me age 7 and age 8 years and I am self driving my car to Bangalore from Andhra Pradesh, but in my case if they imposing institutional quarantine it will further add COVID concern for kids and family and it’s impossible to control kids in a single room all the day for 14 days. I believe you all agree with what I am talking as most of us have kids or must have had the experience. So people having small kids should be given option for home quarantine or to be warned if failing to do so will be published and non bailable.
I traveled from Mangalore to Calicut to drop my parents who were stuck for three months and returned within 24 hours. Still they put me in hotel quarantine although I begged the officer to sent me to home quarantine as my wife and my 2 year son alone were at home. This happened despite the fact that I had a seva sindhu govt approved pass issued on 14 th mentioning that you will be put under home quarantine. These ppl change rules overnight and simply put people under hotel quarantine and charge exorbitant rates for rooms with basic facility. Before moving to hotel they showed me a hostel and the condition of the hostel is such that many people are sharing a small room and you are sure to get covid from there. My sincere request to you all is that never return to Karnataka via any borders as you will be put into jail like place for 14 days even if you go out for emergency to other states.
We applied in portal from Kurnool to Bangalore hiring car.Now its really tough with my 7 yr kid to manage at hotel and more important is what about driver we hired.Even he has to stay for 14 day quarantine.Then no driver will come fwd to travel to Karanataka.Govt should have imposed strict home quarantine to returnees.in case they fail to follow,govt then can fine those who didn’t follow.But paid quarantine which allowed us to drop our travel to Banglore.
I agree I have the same problem 2 small kids 5 n 6yr old .. I am in hyberbad just coz of this rule i do nt want to go it too risky to stay the quarantine facility they give …
Kindly stop this bullshit Institutional Quarantine Facility, Even a healthy is more vulnerable to have Exposure to severely ill people or Undetected person who is carrying the Virus.
In short Provide mandatory Home Quarantine! With compulsion of reporting the authorities about their health condition for next 14 days. As this is a pandemic,it will not end soon! Staying at Hotels and later finding a positive case & getting admitted. unfortunately, if some other gets back to the same place even after the place get sanitation the vulnerability exists as our people are still struggling to work with standards.
Better provide Home Quarantine!
Most families are stranded since two months!
My friends cancelled after compulsive Institutional Quarantine!
People have work from home responsibilities with low salaries (15,000₹ – 25,000) we don’t afford hotels nor we can work in Kalyan mantapas or Schools where there’s no privacy to work. Shouldn’t we earn or lose the hard earned job?
Think broadly lets bring back Everything to its original place even start stringent monitoring. Don’t know which idiot had planned such Institutional Quarantine.
You can stay where you are. If you dont wanna pay take the government quarantine which is free.
Home quarantine is a joke. People on home quarantine are roaming without any mask and guess what they have tested positive. In these quarantine you will be checked. So its better people quarantine or stay back.
Do only home quarntine ..this institutional quarantine is very dangerous ..if sone one stays there for 14 days he wl get covid 19
Why Karnataka govt.is forcing hotel quarentine that is the question.There is no guarantee that govt. quarentine a camps safe.
This is absolutely not needed. Other states practicing home quarantine are doing much better at controlling covid 19 than Karnataka. Unhygienic conditions in government institutions are already well known and will soon be breeding spots for Corona. Based on where a person is coming from a home quarantine should be mandated unless a person is symptomatic. People are loosing jobs, having paycuts and government wants to add to their troubles. We are a democratic country and people should be made responsible by mandating home quarantine for them. I work in Bangalore and came to my hometown in Uttarakhand back in March. I am hoping to be back in city when flights operate. How is this a sensible move.
Seems like a joint venture between government n hoteliers in Karnataka
This is absolutely not needed. Other states practicing home quarantine are doing much better at controlling covid 19 than Karnataka. Unhygienic conditions in government institutions are already well known and will soon be breeding spots for Corona. Based on where a person is coming from a home quarantine should be mandated unless a person is symptomatic. People are loosing jobs, having paycuts and government wants to add to their troubles. We are a democratic country and people should be made responsible by mandating home quarantine for them. I work in Bangalore and came to my hometown in Uttarakhand back in March. I am hoping to be back in city when flights operate. How is this a sensible move.
I am from Tamilnadu and working in Bangalore. We came to our village with family for a function before lockdown and got stuck here. Now my daughters school starting the online class and we don’t have internet facility at our place. Now we are force to come back to Bangalore. Please relax the rules for people who travel along with family .
Few suggestions
1, Arrange a instant corona check up at border with 2 days quarantine.
2. Rather than 14 days, go for 28 day home quarantine
Regards,
Pravin
Hi, I have my family with two small kids and want to return to Karnataka but my biggest problem is that I cannot go for govrment institutional quarantine centre because it’s very risky and how to manage the kids for 14 days in centre and there are chances to get infected and hotel is very expensive
We too stuck and no corona in our district. They should check from which district the people are coming instead of considering entier Tamillnadu….
Hum log karnatka me he
Govt should provide an option to home quarantine people with a lock which govt will do outside of the home .. for any emergency people may call to near police station and they can come and open the door for them. Nearby police station can lock people at their home for 14 days, this would be acceptable for people as well as by govt or police.
People would be ready to pay for the lock cost by the police. This will not harm to anyone and it will be win win for Both of them as police need not to monitor people everytime and there would not be any fear of spreading the virus.
I want to going Odisha
Are we saying, still we are lacking in Covid-19 testing facilities in Karnataka ?
Or we are saying that we are trying to boost Karnataka economy via this mandatory quarantine strategy ?
It would been a great move if immediate covid 19 testing on borders, railway stations and 1-2 days mandatory quarantine in institutions till the time test result is out
Hi, myself Navin kumar I’m from Karnataka and working in chennai in an IT sector, As I got stuck in nation wide lockdown I was unable to return home, and after 2.0 lockdown i had applied for the TN e-pass to return to my native & also obtained e-pass from seva Sindhu portal..As we are in protocol of WFH..will the government provide as the place to work in institutional quarantine,if so I had to undergo institutional quarantine compulsorily is the Karnataka Government gonna issue any assurance to my JOB, Even we do have responsibility, ppl in family are more than 50 , so I urge your kindself to make as home quarantine..
Hi, myawlf Navin kumar I’m from Karnataka and working in chennai in an IT sector, As I got stuck in nation wide lockdown I was unable to return home, and after 2.0 lockdown i had applied for the TN e-pass to return to my native & also obtained e-pass from seva Sindhu portal..As we are in protocol of WFH..will the government provide as the place to work in institutional quarantine???.if so I had to undergo institutional quarantine compulsorily is the Karnataka Government gonna issue any assurance to my JOB ???? Even we do have responsibility, ppl in family are more than 50 , so I urge your kindself to make as home quarantine..
KA govt seems trying to help Bangalore hotel owners by sending us forcefully quarantine.. otherwise why can’t they suggest home quarantine…??
Karnataka govt not taking care for people who stayed at the hometowns and get back to work in Bangalore. Covid cases are increasing day by day. We need to come back to work unless we will lose our jobs. So those who get negative pls release to go and then we will do our jobs safely with instructions of COVID-19
This is what happens when hoteliers tie up with Government to do business.
Yes, even myself need to travel to karnataka with my kid who is under 10 year. We cannot go to institutional quarantine, it’s been 2 months we have stranded in andhra. Please someone take this to officials notice to allow families to under go home quarantine. We cannot offord money to hotels nor we cannot take risk stay in government s free quarantine..
I am stuck in Pune Maharashtra, I have come to my village
Yes please understand please allow the families with children to undergo home quarantine..
Hi I am shubhanjali.and my husband who was came from Kolkata is in quarantine at BCM hostel Vijaynagar, Whitefield, Bangalore which is quarantine centre provided by government.there one room having 12beds in small space.everyday new people are joining there.however if one of the room mate will have corona it will spread to other who is above to complete his quarantine period. It is very risky to be quarantine at place provided by government.on the other side hotel is very expensive.
Home quarantine is also to be considered. Worried what if viruse spread in quarantine center.
Now a days listening news viruses spreading
in hospitals and police stations
When someone health condition good and his not used to travel any public transport like train or by air..I’m traveling to Bangalore by road along with my family from Odisha Mayurbhanj dist Karanjia my DC check my health condition and issues ePass to travel to Bangalore if I’m good health condition whys I’m using Hotel quoraintine…can we go for Home quoraintine please understand the importance how we managed in Hotel please suggest me please. And how much guarantee the Hotel quoraintine is safe…it’s just West of money allow to staying home quoraintine please.
Sir, what if you get infected on the way. Many people with these dc certificates have been tested positive. Please follow the rules for yourself and others health too
If anyone , after getting e pass wants to come Nipani Karnataka from Chennai then where he should be quarantine
Why the govt. fkers did not inform of the quarantine rules before the trip commenced? Why were the travellers not informed in advance of this rule? And 1200 a day? Why not arrange decent living accommodation for about 700-800 per day? Obviously living in govt. hostel is a sure fire chance of catching the virus.
Why not home quarantine? As most of them travel with kids what if covid 19 spreads when we are in institutional quarantine. Also most of the schools asking the parents to collect books for next academic year. Soon the online classes are going to start for them. How can we have all the expected things when we stay away from our home. Karnataka goverment has to consider all such scenarios and provide exceptions. We are worried whether we would be able to reach our home before June. It’s been 2 months we are in self quarantine due to lock down.
Karnataka govt allows people from the zone status basis. Most of district in tamilnadu becomes green or less affected. Govt at least consider and allow home quarantine.