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Amid 14-day shutdown, Karnataka permits garment units to run with 50% force
The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued another addendum to its earlier announced guidelines to the lockdown, allowing garment manufacturing units to operate with 50% of its workforce
The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued another addendum to its earlier announced guidelines to the lockdown, allowing garment manufacturing units to operate with 50% of its workforce.
“All industries/industrial establishment/production units are permitted to operate adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour. However, garment manufacturing units will operate with 50% of its workforce strictly adhering to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour,” an order signed by Karnataka’s chief secretary P Ravi Kumar read.
The addendum comes two days after the government issued guidelines in which it restricted the labour-intensive sector from business as it would involve operations with workers sitting side-by-side.
In a letter to Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, the Garment and Textile Workers Union had asked him to allow the sector to resume operations as most of the employees in this industry were women.
“BCIC (Bangalore Chamber of Commerce and Industry) welcomes the State Government of Karnataka in allowing the Garment Factories to work with 50% workforce in line with its recommendations,” the forum said in a statement on Wednesday.
The government said that the movement of staff shall be allowed by producing valid ID/authorisation issued by concerned industries/industrial establishments.
Amid a spike in cases, Karnataka is observing a 14-day lockdown since Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, Bengaluru reported its highest single-day spike with 22,596 new infections, taking its active tally to 224,252. The state registered a total of 39,047 cases on Wednesday. Bengaluru accounted for 137 out of the 229 fatalities in the single-day surge.
