'Coordinated strategy will be formulated soon': Amit Shah on border restrictions in NCR

As the current COVID-19 situation has compelled states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose border restrictions with Delhi in wake of the surge in infections in the national capital, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Centre is working towards formulating a coordinated response in the national capital region by involving the administrations from the three states.  

"As far as COVID is concerned, I have held meetings with officials from the NCR region. I am going to talk to both Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. All the information has been collected by the Home Ministry and Health Ministry. After talking to the Chief Ministers, we will make a coordinated strategy for the NCR," the Home Minister said. 

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Speaking of testing being ramped up to counter the COVID-19 threat, Shah said, "In NCR too, testing will be increased and guidelines for hospitals will be set. We have moved ahead with proper coordination and took many decisions."

The Home Minister in his meeting with NCR region officials on June 18 had emphasised the need for a unified strategy to counter COVID in the Delhi-NCR region. "It is necessary for all concerned authorities in Delhi and the NCR region to come together to tackle the virus," the minister had said in the meeting.

Delhi shares its borders with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana which has closed borders with the national capital citing an alarming rise in the COVID-19 infections in the city. Usually, lakhs of people on a daily basis cross these state borders in the NCR to get to work in cities like New Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad. But due to the border restrictions, people living in the NCR, including those engaged in essential services, complained of facing difficulties due to lack of coordination among authorities of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on issues of border restrictions at different points.

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