BANDEWDEWA, Jul 19: Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Talo Potom has dismissed allegations that the Covid-19 virus was spreading through truckers.
Speaking to the press here, he said the administration has placed foolproof measures to avoid any such incident. He said “there is no iota of truth in the allegation,” and added that all truckers entering the state are strictly monitored by the highway traffic wardens.
“Most of the trucks after unloading consignment immediately return. The trucks that cannot unload items on time are taken directly to the interstate truck terminal (ISTT), where we have a control room. Truckers are not allowed to go out until the consignment owners make provisions for unloading,” informed Potom.
He said food and other items required by the truckers are dropped near the ISTT gate by the consignment owners and there is no contact.
Potom also brushed off the rumour that the businessman who died recently after testing Covid-19 positive got infected after coming in contact with a trucker.
“It is fake news. In our data we have no such records. During both entry and exit time the drivers and handymen make entry at the gates. Our team tracks the trucks when they enter the capital region and their movement is monitored,” he added.
The ADM informed that, as per the decision of the state government, henceforth all the truckers entering the state will be tested for Covid-19 at the gates.
“No truckers will be allowed to enter the state capital region without an antigen test. This is a good decision by the government,” he said.
