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Ludhiana industry hails state’s decision to allow operations in mix land use areas
Reeling under losses, the industry has been demanding permission to operate in mix land use areas for over two weeks
The micro and small industry hailed the decision of the state government to allow industrial operations in mix land use and non-designated areas.
Reeling under losses, the industry has been demanding permission to operate in mix land use areas for over two weeks.
Different industrial organisations, including Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (CICU), Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation and Janta Nagar Small Scale Manufacturers Association (JNSSMA), had even warned the state government of agitation if it failed to allow industrial activity in mix land use areas by May 17.
The industry rued that the large industry allowed to operate in designated areas would not be able to survive as it was dependent on micro and small industry.
The matter was also raised by congress MLAs Surinder Dawar and Sanjay Talwar in a meet held with the additional chief secretary, industries and commerce, Vini Mahajan on Thursday.
President of JNSSMA, Jaswinder Singh Thukral, and president of FICO, Gurmeet Singh Kular, said the decision was welcomed as around 50,000 micro and small units (mostly cycle parts, tools and hosiery) were situated in mix land use and non-designated areas of the city.
Thukral said, “I had also raised the issue in the meet held with Vini Mahajan at Bachat Bhawan on Thursday as the industry is reeling under losses even when they can operate by complying with all the guidelines on the basis of which the medium and large industry has been allowed to operate in designated areas.”
The industrialists rued that apart from losses, they have also been losing their labour, which was moving back to their home states in absence of work.
Representing hosiery industry, president of Knitwear and Textile Club, Vinod Thapar, and president of Bajwa Nagar Hosiery Association, Darshan Dawar, said the labour had started movement and if the labour in the hosiery industry had moved out, it would have been a major blow to the industry.
“The hosiery industry has already suffered a loss of over Rs 1,000 crore due to the lockdown and the decision by the state government to allow operations in mix land use areas has provided a much needed relief,” said Thapar.
