Over 1000 industrialists seek nod to restart units

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 4

Over 1,000 industrial unit owners have approached the District Industry Centre (DIC) to restart their units.

Though the units are not operational since the implementation of lockdown, now several industry owners have given applications to restart their units.

• Also read: Lack resources to pay workers, but exodus a worry: Punjab Industry

BS Brar, GM, DIC, said in the past four days, over 1,000 owners have applied.

“They have to take all precautions and maintain social distancing,” he said, adding that the department was available for industry owners as well as workers.

However, it is also clear that a majority of the migrant workers will move to their native places after lockdown and it would be problematic for industrialists.

With Jalandhar being declared a hotspot in the state due to spike in number of Covid cases, industrialists who are running manufacturing units of pipe fitting, valves and cocks, sports, nut and bolts and rubber footwear are a harried lot.

These industries have a huge concentration here and they supply products across the length and breadth of the country.

“We know that labourers will return homes the moment the lockdown is lifted. About 95 per cent of the workers are from UP and Bihar. Despite the fact that we’re paying them wages, we are aware that they will return immediately after the lockdown,” said a manufacturer.

“In our deliberations with industrial groups, we concluded that a majority of labourers would return home,” said another manufacturer and trader.