Lack of clarity leads 70% industrial units in city to stay shut

Around 70% of all factory units across industrial areas in the city continued to remain shut in the city as confusion remained over rules regarding their opening

Around 70% of all factory units across industrial areas in the city continued to remain shut in the city as confusion remained over rules regarding their opening on part of state government and city police, the Aam Aadmi Party’s trade and industry wing claimed on Monday.

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Following the Union home ministry’s order, the Delhi government had on Sunday decided to allow industrial estates and townships to start operations given that all such units ensure access control of its workers at the entry/exits of their respective areas. There are 28 authorised industrial areas in Delhi. Multiple senior government officers, who did not wish to be named, said that they are yet to get a list of standard operating procedures related to the opening of factories, because of which many owners were told to shut their industries on Monday.

The representatives of at least 78 industrial associations also raised their concerns regarding the issue during a meeting via video conferencing with members of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) trade and industry wing on Monday afternoon.

Industry owners said that even as some of them opened the factories, local authorities including the sub-divisional magistrate (SDMs) and the police, in some areas got the units closed by midday saying that they did not have orders yet to allow their functioning.

“The government has released an order, but it has not reached enforcement agencies on ground, including the area SDMs. Around 400 of the total 700 factory units in the area had opened today but all of them had to be closed by 2pm despite proper access control mechanisms being in place. We raised the issue during a virtual meeting with the AAP and hope it’s addressed soon,” said Ashok Gupta, president, Udyog Nagar Industrial Association. The units here deal mainly in manufacture of footwear and engineering goods.

The industrial complex has 4-5 security guards at each of its gates and identity cards have been issued to the workers. “Only five (of around 20) workers have stayed behind in each factory unit. Only some cleaning work could be done today while no manufacturing could take place ,” he said.

Videos of police personnel addressing factory owners in several areas surfaced on messaging platforms late on Monday afternoon.

“The issue is that the government needs to send out clear guidelines — along with a list of industrial areas and types of units that are allowed to open — to the district magistrates and the police. Even owners don’t know if they are required to take prior permission before opening the units or not,” said Navdeep Malhotra, member, Mayapuri Industrial Association.

According to Brijesh Goyal, convener, AAP’s trade and industry wing, only around 25%-30% factory units could open across the city, including Udyog Nagar, Okhla, Mayapuri, Narela, Bawana and Mangolpuri, among others. “This was mainly because local authorities denied permission to those without proper access control mechanism. While in some areas, there was confusion over essential and non-essential goods making units. We will submit the queries and suggestions made by industry owners during the meeting to the government for resolution at the earliest,” said Goyal.

A senior Delhi government official, who did not wish to be named, said that they had not received formal orders with guidelines till Monday evening. “We are expecting the SOPs to be issued on the operational guidelines. In many areas were asked factories to shut down for not having adequate access control mechanism,” the official said.