Karnataka-Kerala border: Karnataka HC disposes of plea after State relaxes conditions for inter-state travel [Read revised guidelines]

The Karnataka High Court on Friday disposed of a plea seeking to open up the Karnataka-Kerala border after it was informed that revised guidelines for inter-state travel had been issued by the Karnataka government..The revised guidelines, which were issued by the state government on August 24, contain relaxed conditions regarding compulsory quarantine and registration on the Seva Sindhu portal. .Taking note of this development, the Division bench of Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi has disposed of the petition filed by Advocate Nagendra Naik. The Court noted,."In view of the decision recorded in the revised circular, nothing survives in the petition. Accordingly, it is disposed of.".The revised guidelines state all asymptomatic travellers can report to work or perform their activities in Karnataka without any requirement of 14 days home quarantine. .However, such persons are required to self-monitor their health for 14 days from the date of their arrival for any symptoms of COVID-19 like fever, cough, cold, throat pain, difficulty in breathing, etc and immediately seek medical consultation without fail or call the Apthamitra helpline 14410..Further, the circular says that inter-state travellers no longer need to register themselves on the Seva Sindhu portal. They will not be subjected to a mandatory medical check-up at state borders or at bus, airport or rail stations upon arrival..This apart, the 14-day quarantine or isolation period along with the testing protocol has also being withdrawn..Under the revised guidelines, enforcement of home quarantine which included a poster on home door, information to neighbours/resident welfare associations/apartment owners' associations, monitoring from Panchayat/ward level teams, flying squad, IVRS call-centre outbound calls, and quarantine watch app monitoring, have also been discontinued..During the last hearing, the Bench had noted that though State had opened the Kerala-Karnataka border on August 15, it had imposed several conditions on inter-state travellers such as undergoing of mandatory medical examination and registration on the Seva Sindhu portal..In this light, the Court had asked the state government to clarify whether restrictions can be imposed on inter-state travellers in view of clause 5 of the guidelines for phased reopening (UNLOCK 3) dated June 29. .The Court had observed that under the Unlock-3 guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority, no separate permission, approval, e-permit was required for inter-state movement..On similar lines, the Karnataka High Court yesterday disposed of a plea seeking to open the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border for inter-state travel. .[Read revised guidelines]