You no longer require an e pass to travel to Puducherry. No pass, permit or permission is required to travel to Pondicherry. Pondicherry is open to tourists.
December Update: Night curfew has been removed. Beaches in Pondicherry are open and so are shops, restaurants and cafes. There are no time restrictions currently. Mask wearing and social distancing are mandatory. You can be fined Rs. 2000 for not wearing a mask.
All restrictions on inter-state travel and movement of goods has been removed and no separate permission or e pass will be required according to an order by Ministry of Home Affairs, India.
Why was e- pass system discontinued ?
On August 22, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) wrote to states and union territories asking them to allow unhindered movement of people and goods . The Ministry in its statement, drew attention to paragraph 5 of Unlock 3 guidelines issued on July 29 which state there shall be no restrictions on inter-state & intra-state movement of persons, goods and services.
Restrictions imposed by district administration or by state government is violation of MHA guidelines under Disaster Management Act, 2005, the statement reiterated.
These restrictions are creating problems in inter-state movement of goods and services and are impacting the supply chain, resulting in disruption of economic activities and employment, besides affecting supply of goods and services : MHA
Most states chose to implement their own permit/ e -pass system despite these guidelines issued in July to counter increasing Covid-19 cases. While Pondicherry has immediately responded by complying to MHA’s latest order, it remains to be seen how other states will react. If travelling outside Pondicherry, please look up e-pass guidelines of specific state/ union territory.
E-pass Puducherry portal disabled
Puducherry had two online portals for applying e -pass for travel to and from Puducherry. Both these websites – epass.py.gov.in & welcomeback.py.gov.in are no longer functional.
No new quarantine rules have been announced. Initial quarantine rules state that after entering Pondicherry, it is mandatory to self-quarantine at home for 15 days and register your details with the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC).
What does this mean for Pondicherry ?
Without the restriction of an e-pass , anyone who wishes to travel can now visit Pondicherry. While buses, trains and flights are not yet operational- cars, two-wheelers and private vehicles are all allowed. This could give Pondicherry’s struggling tourism industry and local businesses like restaurants, guest houses a much-needed boost after 5 months of little or no income .
On the down side, Pondicherry has a steadily increasing positivity rate- one of the highest in the country. In recent days, 30- 40 % of people being tested daily are found positive with Covid-19. A floating population increases the challenges for social distancing and contact tracing every time someone tests positive.
Find daily Covid- 19 updates, guidelines for Pondicherry here
Pondicherry could perhaps look into best practices followed by some international cities that are gradually restarting tourism in order to rebuild the economy without compromising on the health or safety of its population ?
FEATURE PHOTO: HARI P
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