E-passes for those planning to move out

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has launched an online platform to issue e-passes to people travelling out of Odisha. The e-pass will be issued to people stranded in Odisha, as well as those who want to travel outside the state for medical requirements.
Persons intending to go outside the state can log on to https://covid19.odisha.gov.in. They need to provide travel itinerary and furnish passenger and vehicle details for review by the district authorities.
After approval, the e-pass with passenger and vehicle details will be sent to the applicant through SMS and e-mail. The e-pass can also be viewed, downloaded and printed from the website.
The platform has been developed by the state information and technology department and launched by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday. “Leveraging digital technologies is a key strategy in the state’s fight against Covid-19. The e-pass platform has been developed by our department in only two days of being assigned the task by the state relief commissioner. This efficient and transparent platform will be a great help for people who are stranded in Odisha,” said state IT secretary Manoj Mishra. Though the state labour department has been facilitating the return of migrant workers to various states, the online platform will be helpful for others like students, professionals and pilgrims stranded in Odisha. So far they were having to physically travel to the office of collectors, municipal commissioners and police to apply for passes.
The state government recently assigned home secretary Sanjeev Chopra for implementation of a decentralised system for issue of passes through district and municipal administrations.