Rules in Different States During Lockdown

The present rules of different states is like, each state is like a different country and issuing visas differently to other states.

Anyone can visit Telangana without any issue. But, if they have any symptoms, then they would be taken to institutional quarantine. Otherwise, they can go home.

In AP, one needs to register in Spandana App. Only after it is approved, they can book the tickets. If the person is coming from Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan or M.P, then they have to mandatorily go for institutional quarantine for 7 days. If the person is coming from other areas, they can go home for home quarantine for 14 days, if they do not have any symptoms.

For Karnataka, the process is much more complicated and one has to read all the rules before visiting.

If a person who is coming from Chennai or Mumbai wants to visit A.P., then they should go to state like Telangana and from there, if they go to A.P., then they don't need to be in institutional quarantine. Otherwise, they would be in institutional quarantine for few days.

I see few forwards with one or two line rules for each state. The rules are much more complicated than that. If you are travelling to any state, please read all the rules of that state before the travel. Many times, the rules vary almost every week.

You can read the rules of different states from https://www.goindigo.in/information/state-regulations.html

Travel from Chennai to Hyderabad on the first flight after lock down

I travelled from Chennai to Hyderabad by the first available public transport after the lock down which does not require any government approval. The following is my journey details, which I am mentioning here, so that, those who are planning to travel (in the coming days) can be prepared.

Flight booking

I booked Indigo flight for the afternoon of 25th May. Late night of 24th May, I received message saying, the flight has been cancelled. I tried to rebook the flight, but, it was giving different errors each time. I tried to cancel the flight and get refund of the money. After undoing the checkin, that worked.  Later I realized that, I should not have done that, if the plan is to rebook the ticket in a week. Because, when we cancel the flight and ask for the credit, Indigo takes a week to credit the amount in your shell. So, within a week, if you have to book, you cannot use that. Also, the credit amount should be used within a year (and probably by the same passenger). So, not a good option, if one does not plan to travel that often. Fortunately, in my case, Indigo customer care helped me to change the flight to 25th May at 8:50 PM.

To Chennai Airport

In Chennai, no public transport was available, no cab/ola/uber available. Autos were very rare. You may need to be lucky to spot one. I started at home at 5 PM, and walked a lot of distance and found one unofficial transport vehicle who dropped me near by airport for Rs.800 for 5 kms. Even then, I had to walk a lot of distance to go the terminal with heavy luggage. During normal times, Ola cab used to come to my house and drop near the terminal for a charge of Rs.150.

In Chennai Airport

In Chennai Airport, they did thermal screening. Everyone had to do web checkin before.
Indigo expected everyone to take printouts of the boarding pass and luggage tags. But, they were not required. They gave me a  new boarding pass (since they were unable to scan my paper boarding pass) and they put their own baggage tags. In the ticket instructions, they said, they don't take extra luggage charges at the airport. My luggage crossed 6 kgs than their limit and they charged Rs.2400 for that, and they took credit card payment.

Flight got delayed and it started at 10.30 PM instead of 8.50 PM.

In Hyderabad Airport. 

Flight landed before 11.30 PM. First time, I saw people in India getting down in the order. Of course, as soon as the flight halted, everyone stood up to take their luggage and started waiting to go first. The flight attendant announced three times to get down in the order of the seat numbers, and people started getting down in the order of their seat numbers.

While coming out of the airport, they did thermal screening. If the temperature is fine, they let go without saying anything. By 12 AM, I was near the cab point and tried to book Ola/Uber and I could not get anything. After some time, I tried to check other cabs. Few cabs operated like share autos, taking three different passengers, and charging each one Rs.700-1000. I could not get anything as the cabs were very less. After some time, there were no cabs at all.

I went back and sat in Airport chairs till 4 AM, when I was asked to vacate the chairs. They said, nobody is supposed sit in the chairs as people would be coming from the arrival flights, and they expect everyone to go without waiting there.

I took free shuttle to the Airport bus station. There, I started waiting along with many other people including those who came in the same shuttle. When I casually asked for a cab, they said, one was available and I took it immediately. They charged Rs.700, which was usual charge. I wondered whether I was lucky to be the first one to ask casually or I was the only person there who was waiting for a cab.

By 5 AM, I reached my final destination. Total time taken was 12 hours (from 5 PM to 5 AM).

From the political angle, it was like, transport was started by Union (Central) Government and not started by state government. You go and figure out what to do. 

To all the protesters of the CAA

To all the protesters of the CAA,

I appreciate your fight against the one time discrimination of non-Indians in the name of religion.

Can you also please fight for Indians who have been discriminated by the government based on caste, religion, region and many others since Independence with no plan to end the discrimination even in far future?

Suggestions given to Finance Minister for 2020-21 Budget

I gave the following suggestions to the Finance Minister for the Budget 2020-21. You can also give suggestions from https://www.mygov.in/group-issue/inviting-ideas-and-suggestions-union-budget-2020-2021/

I suggest to link income tax slabs and exemptions with inflation.

The income tax slabs have not been increased in proportion to the inflation for a long time. Please link with inflation, so that it would be fair to the people.

Section 80C also has not been increased for a long time. Please link that also to the inflation.

The limit of the food allowance that a company can provide to its employees is set to Rs.50. That was decided more than a decade back and it was not revised till now. You might be knowing that with Rs.50, you cannot get a meal in any decent hotel. Please revise that and link that also with inflation.

Few suggestions on the Indian railways.

Open premium tatkal an hour before the tatkal and make them available at the highest price. The tickets that are not sold can be made available as usual after the tatkal opening. You can include normal tatkal tickets also in the premium tatkal when it is opened an hour before.

Provide waiting list for the premium tatkal at the highest price. If there is any cancellation, first clear the premium tatkal.

By this, during peak time, Indian railways can get Maximum revenue and also those who can afford can travel. As of now, it is becoming pure luck for everyone who is trying for tatkal.

Provide some refund to the cancellation of the confirmed tatkal tickets. Now, there is no refund for the cancellation of the confirmed tatkal tickets, and there is no incentive for the people to cancel them, when they are not going to travel. If we provide small incentive to cancel the ticket, then we can confirm another ticket and railways would get money for that. If you return only 20-30% of the ticket price for confirmed tatkal, it would generate lot of money.

Since, IRCTC is no longer completely owned by Indian Railways/Government any more, it is better to give licensing to multiple private players for booking tickets online with some license fees. With that, Government can get significant money, and also, it is fair from the government's perspective to treat all non-government organizations equally. Now, it is unfairly giving full license to one non-government organization (IRCTC).

Act vs Implementation

Whenever some major incident happens, Government introduces another act and everyone hails the government for that. Life goes on as usual (without much change).

For the recent problems that media is highlighting (Rape and Murder), we don't need another act. We already have too many stringent laws/acts. What we need is efficient implementation.

Before one criticizes police for not acting immediately, we have to see whether police have enough time to deal with all the cases. Most of the time, they are severely under staffed and had to work overtime. Government should increase the no.of police significantly.

The no.of cases is too huge in any court. Government should increase the no.of courts/judges so that, the cases can be closed sooner.

In the recent Disa act introduced by AP Government, if the government tries to solve the case in 30 days, then most of the time, there won't be any punishment, since, to prove someone beyond reasonable doubt requires significant evidence collection and that would take quite some time. When police is under-staffed, they cannot get complete evidence in such less time. When police take more time, it becomes like how it is now (no change).

Without increasing the police/courts/judges and other infrastructure related issues, if the government tries to solve the problems with yet another act, it won't be possible. If they try to solve without increasing the infrastructure, it would cause increase in other types of crimes.

Many times, the real solution is always dull and not exciting.