Lockdown in Delhi, city industry takes a big hit

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 29

Industrialists in the city are facing trouble because of the lockdown imposed in Delhi, Maharashtra and other areas. Jalandhar is the nucleus of various industries such as sports, pipe fittings, valves and cocks and hand tools etc. Amid the pandemic, lockdown and increasing prices of raw materials have added to the woes of traders and manufactures.

City traders rue that there was no clarity on restrictions and said it was tough for them to survive amid this crisis. “We have been facing several problems from the past few months but the government is not doing anything to resolve them,” said a trader.

A pipes and fittings industry manufacturer Suba Singh said the rate of raw materials had increased by 50 per cent. “Also, nobody is ready to purchase goods anymore, because everyone is concerned about their health and fear contracting the virus. But, the situation has become difficult for us as we are paying regular electricity bills even if the units are shut,” he said.

Gursharan Singh, an industrialist, said lockdown would hit them hard as the goods that had already been manufactured would not be able to be dispatched due to the restrictions. “For being unable to deliver the products, the party won’t release the payment and this will hit our economy hard,” he said adding that despite this situation, they could not halt the production.

Sharan Deep, a small manufacturer, said units were not working to their full capacity. “The rate of raw material is so high that a small trader and manufacture like me cannot even afford to purchase it. Surviving amid such conditions is becoming difficult for industrialists,” he rued.