FICO observes ‘Black Day’, demands nod to industrial operations in Ludhiana’s mixed land use areas
A group of factory workers and members of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation staged a protest on Gill Road
Agitated over the state government’s decision of not allowing industrial operations in mixed land use areas of Ludhiana, a group of factory workers and members of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) observed ‘Black Day’ and staged a protest on Gill Road on Saturday.
At a time when inter-state migration of the labour is on the rise, local migration is also taking place to areas where industrial operations have been allowed. FICO president Gurmeet Singh Kular said, “The government has allowed industrial operations in designated areas, while the units on mixed land use areas have been left behind. Now, labourers who don’t want to move back to their home states are shifting to the industries situated in designated areas. In the coming days, this will increase trouble for the micro and small industry that is already reeling under losses.”
“Even ice-cream shops are allowed to operate, but no permission has been granted to the micro industry where it is easier to maintain social distancing,” he said. The FICO president also said, “Due to the government’s move, the large industries will also have to shut their operations in the coming days as most of their vendors operate on mixed land use areas.”
Earlier, various industrial organisations, including FICO, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings and Janta Nagar Small Scale Manufacturers’ Association, had warned the state government of launching an agitation if the government fails to allow the mixed land use industries to operate by May 17.
LIP URGES CAPTAIN TO ALLOW INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS
Meanwhile, Lok Insaaf Party president and Atam Nagar MLA Simarjit Singh Bains has also urged chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to allow the functioning of industries on the mixed land use areas. He said the micro and small industry is already reeling under loses and the government, instead of helping them in the time of crisis, is increasing the trouble for them.
