Rs 250-cr farm implements yet to be dispatched

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, April 5

With the enforcement of the 21-day lockdown to curtail Covid pandemic, the agricultural implements manufacturing industry of Karnal has received a major setback as implements of around Rs 250 crore are stuck in around 100 industries in the district. These implements were to be sent across various parts of Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa, MP, Andhra Pradesh and other states. Most of the implements are related to wheat harvesting.

Industrialists, who supply agricultural implements to more than 115 countries of the world, alleged that even after exemption of intra and inter-state movement of harvesting and sowing machinery, they were not able to dispatch the harvest machinery due to restrictions on movement of local labour and vehicles. They also said the authorities were not issuing clear guidelines about the operation of the industry.

The entrepreneurs are worried about their recurring expenses such as wages and salaries to staff, electricity, fixed charges and bank interest. They demanded the government to waive interest on cash credit limit, payment of wages to workforce during lockdown period from ESI account, capping on salary to Rs 30,000 per month to employees during the lockdown period and waive off fixed electricity charges for next three months.

“An order of around Rs 60 crore was to be dispatched in March from my industry, but it could not happen due to lockdown. Due to non-availability of labour and no guidelines on industry operations and movement of vehicles, I am not able to dispatch it. This has resulted in loss as most of the implements, including combine harvesters are related to wheat harvesting. After the season, no buyer will purchase these implements,” said Ravi Beri, senior vice-president, Karnal Agricultural Implement Manufacturers Association (KAIMA). “We request the government to allow the industry to operate smoothly. We will follow the protocol fixed by the government for employees,” he added.

“Food is the basic requirement and agricultural produce cannot come in market and reach people, unless proper harvesting and sowing implements are provided to the farming community,” said Som Sachdeva, KAIMA adviser.

Bhavuk Mehta, general secretary of the KAIMA, requested the government to fulfil their demands.

Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said, “The agriculture implements industry has a workforce of around 5,000 persons in Karnal. Allowing them outrightly will affect the implementation of lockdown. We will permit them on the recommendation of GM, District Industry Centre.”

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