Manesar industries likely to resume operations from April 20

Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in this regard will be issued for the entire state on Saturday that each industry would have to strictly follow.

Industries in Gurugram outside municipal limits shall be allowed to operate from April 20 onwards, while strictly following social distancing norms, the Haryana government said late Friday.

The industries and commerce department and labour department of the state government held consultations with industry representatives on Friday evening. (HT file photo)

Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in this regard will be issued for the entire state on Saturday that each industry would have to strictly follow.

Financially starved due to a sharp dip in revenue collection owing to the lockdown, the Haryana government inched closer to resuming commercial and manufacturing activity in the state from April 20, the day designated by the Central government for operationalising the enterprise.

The industries and commerce department and labour department of the state government held consultations with industry representatives on Friday evening.

Additional chief secretary, industries and commerce, TVSN Prasad, said they would issue guidelines for resumption of manufacturing operations on Saturday.

“We have constituted district and block level committee to process approvals and monitor containment requirements including social distancing,’’ Prasad said. These committees will evaluate which factories or industries can be permitted to carry out operations.

When asked about the opening of industrial units in Gurugram, which has been designated a red zone by the state government, Chautala said that only areas falling within the municipal limits of Gurugram had been categorised as such.

“Industries in areas that are outside the municipal zone in Gurugram and aren’t categorised as a containment zone will be allowed to resume operations, with some riders. We will issue SOPs for statewide operations on Saturday,” he said. There are six containment zones in the district, as of Friday evening.

The development means that around 2,000 units based in Manesar, including auto major Maruti Suzuki, could resume manufacturing Monday onwards, but at a limited capacity. On the other hand, Udyog Vihar, which falls within municipal limits, may have to wait longer to resume operations.

A number of Manesar-based industrialists have repeatedly asked the government over the last few days to allow the resumption of industry, after the nationwide lockdown was extended, and threatening to plunge the economy and industries further into turmoil.

“We are ready to start work and have already worked out SOPs for safe working, while maintaining social distances,” said Manmohan Gaind, vice president, Manesar Industries Welfare Association.

A Maruti spokesperson when asked about the matter said they could issue a statement only on Saturday, after the SOP is released. As per government directions, manufacturing units will be allowed to work with 50% staff, who will have to maintain a six-feet distance from each other within the units. The factories will have to ensure that entry and exit of workers happen in a staggered manner. The workers will have to wear masks and arrangements will have to be made to provide food inside the units.

The union government has divided districts across the country into red, orange and green zones based on the number of Covid-19 cases in these areas.

As per the government order, 170 districts have been marked red zones, 207 have been identified as orange zones, out of the country’s 720 districts.

The red zones in Haryana are Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal.