Hundreds of employees from Kasargod working in various sectors in Dakshina Kannada have initiated an online campaign with the hashtags #Opentheborder and #Savemyjob requesting Kasargod District Collector to allow them to commute daily between Kasargod and Mangaluru.
Team Sahayathri has initiated a campaign appealing the Kasargod DC to allow them to travel to Mangaluru by sending email to the district collector highlighting the problems faced by people of Kasargod due to the imposed restrictions.
“Due to the order of Kasargod district administration, most of us are forced to stay back in Kasargod on loss of pay leave. As per the order, we are not allowed to come back to Kasargod for the next 28 days if we go to Mangaluru. I am also one among those people and 90% of us have no place to stay in Mangaluru. Lodges and hotels in Mangaluru are also not providing rooms for people from outside the state. I heard that some have already lost their jobs,” Prithwiraj J S, an accountant in Mangaluru and a daily commuter wrote to Kasargod DC as a part of the campaign.
“For the past four months, we are on leave without salary. What should we do for our livelihood?” Hariprasad Kumble asked in a message sent to the district collector.
Kasargod DC in his recent order had allowed only bank employees to travel to Mangaluru daily in their private vehicles by furnishing details of their vehicles and identity card through Covid-19 jagratha portal.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said that he will take up the matter with his counterpart in Kasargod on opening the border.
Most of the employees from Kasargod working in private sectors in Mangaluru have been asked to either report to duty or resign.
Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that the decision to clear the heaps of soil dumped on the border to prevent movement of vehicles during the lockdown will be taken after a discussion with the Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner.
Meanwhile, Kasargod DC in a Facebook post has informed that various interstate border related issues will be discussed with Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrashekharan on August 3.
The borders connecting Kerala have been closed at 29 places in Dakshina Kannada.