SAD demands financial package to bail out Ludhiana industry

A delegation of the party submits a memorandum to Punjab governor through deputy commissioner

President of the district unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Ranjit Singh Dhillon along with his party colleagues, including Gurmeet Singh Kular and Madan Lal Bagga, handed over a memorandum to Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore through the deputy commissioner demanding a financial package to bail out the city industry, which has been hit hard due to the spread of coronavirus.

SAD district president Ranjit Dhillon (third from left) along with other party leaders, workers and industrialists protesting against the state government outside the DC office in Ludhiana on Friday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Representatives of various industry associations also accompanied the delegation.

They said that the package for the industry should also include a clause under which the state government should take on the responsibility of paying salaries of industrial workers for the lockdown period.

Dhillon, who led the delegation, said financial packages for small and medium scale industries and traders had already been approved by other state governments, including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

The delegation also demanded waiver of fixed charges till March 31, 2021 and asked the government to provide electricity at Rs 5 per unit and early disbursal of VAT refunds of nearly Rs 80 crore. Besides they also demanded waiver of property tax and free train service for labourers.