Of the many measure by our state government has implemented during the COVID19 pandemic, the best was the ePass for movement of people and goods. ePass was a very wise measure and was effectively implemented in Tamilnadu. This might be the only way to track people movement.
Especially to track people from other countries and other states of India, who may have possibly be infected.
The ePass from government is available for essential services as well stranded passengers and are as below: –
TN ePass – Tamil Nadu COVID-19 : https://tnepass.tnega.org/#/user/pass
ePass FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES : https://serviceonline.gov.in/tamilnadu/viewServiceApplicationForm.do?serviceId=7210003&tempId=2280
This special permission pass went through various transformation before it was finally called epass. Initially it was an approval from Local police station, then needed signature from the RDO, finally it moved to the Collector before it was centralized and called ePass
While the ePass might be helpful to identify source of infection and act immediately from going out of hand, the biggest benefit would be to help people in the early stages from getting into medical complications of COVID19 or Corona Virus.
Tamilnadu always believed in “Prevention is better than cure” and the ePass was again on the same lines to identify and take precaution.
Arrangements for ePass could be called success only when we, the common people, understand the purpose behind the whole arrangement.
Exempted activities for which pass need not be applied are: –
1 – Agriculture
- அனைத்துப் பண்ணை நடவடிக்கைகள் / All Farming Activities
2 – Animal husbandry
- Animal feed manufacturing and feed plants, including supply of raw material, such as maize and soya
- Collection, processing, distribution and sale of milk and milk products by milk processing plants, including transport and supply chain
- Operation of animal husbandry farms including poultry farms & hatcheries and livestock farming activity
- Operation of animal shelter homes, including Gaushalas
3 – Fisheries
- 01. Hatcheries, feed plants, commercial aquaria
- Movement of fish/ shrimp and fish products, fish seed/ feed and workers for all these activities
- Operations of the fishing (marine and inland) / aquaculture industry, including feeding & maintenance, harvesting, processing, packaging, cold chain, sale and marketing
4 – Movement, loading/unloading Goods
- அனைத்து சரக்குப் போக்குவரத்து / All goods traffic
- அனைத்து விதமான பொருட்களின் நகர்வு / சுமை வாகனம் / Movement of all goods/carrier vehicles
- நெடுஞ்சாலை உணவு விடுதி (தாபா) / Dhabas on Highways
- வாகன பழுது பார்ப்பு நிலையம் / Shops for truck repairs
5 – MSMEs Outside Greater Chennai Police Limits
- Employees and vehicles of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises located in Village and Town Panchayats and Industrial Estates, Cotton/Village Industries and standalone shops. However, MSME employees should carry the company issued ID Cards.
6 – Plantations
- Operations of tea, coffee and rubber plantations
7 – Supply of Essential Goods
- கடைகள் (அத்தியாவசியப் பொருட்கள் விற்கும் மளிகை மற்றும் குறு வணிகக் கடைகள்) மற்றும் வண்டிகள். / Shops (including Kirana and Single shops selling essential goods) and carts