Industry asked to follow Covid-19 SOPs as PCMC allows factories to open with 33% workforce
There are more than 4,000 small and medium scale industries in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and non-MIDC areas of Bhosari, Chinchwad and Pimpri, which provide employment to more than 5-6 lakh people.
After the government allowed industries in the rural parts of Pune to reopen, the Maharashtra government has now allowed Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation to let companies resume operations with 33 per cent work force.
This was welcomed by representatives of more than 700 medium and small scale enterprises (MSMEs) who participated in an online session organised by Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) on Friday with Shravan Hardikar, the Pimpri Chinchwad municipal commissioner and officials from the state Industries department.
There are more than 4,000 small and medium scale industries in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and non-MIDC areas of Bhosari, Chinchwad and Pimpri, which provide employment to more than 5-6 lakh people.
Hardikar briefed the gathering on the general guidelines for the companies which have been created using the Industries Best Practices, orders and notifications from the Central and State Government, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations and guidance documents shared by industry associations.
He appealed to the industries to adopt these guidelines and help Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation in safeguarding the employees, families and the residents of from the current Covid-19 pandemic.
The municipal commissioner stressed on training the workforce on hand hygeine, social distancing and use of face masks.
“It is recommended to use thermal scanners and carry out thermal scanning of everyone entering the premises. No person should be allowed to enter the premises without wearing the face covers. Use of touch-gesture based bio-metric attendance (thumbprint/ keypad) is prohibited,” he said.
The commissioner advised the industry to use the Aarogya Setu mobile application and the PCMC Smart Sarathi Mobile Application to get in touch with the civic body for their needs and permissions.
Specific guidelines for manufacturing/ production and the shop floor areas have advised that most of the units have to follow day shifts or a night shift when meant that the members would remain within the premises from 7 am to 7 pm.
The companies would have to provide work-site mobility and transportation and create rules for any work that required workers to work with a two metre distance as well follow protocol and use sanitizers and disinfectant while sharing tools and equipment.
He said every workstation and equipment should be disinfected before the start of the shift. Companies have been advised to introduce staggered lunch breaks.
Pradeep Bhargava, president, MCCIA said, “ We are thankful to the government of Maharashtra and the local administration for considering our request to restart industries in PCMC. Given the number of employees (especially seniors) of PCMC-based companies who live in Pune and nearby regions, we have made requests to allow them (as long as they do not come from containment zones) to travel to their respective companies in their own vehicles, following all safety norms.
14,000 applicants
Sadashiv Survase, Joint Director, Industries said so far 14,000 applications for reopening of the companies have been received on the digital platform, permission.midcindia.org and only 1800 are pending for approvals.
The companies have a self-declared permission which is granted only after they undertake the 23 SOPs (standard operating procedures) of Covid-19. The issue that the companies are now facing in PCMC is that of vehicle passes as only employees or staff can move using a dedicated mini bus or a bus besides private closed car.
No two wheelers are allowed
No decision on allowing employees from Pune to travel as yet. There were many concerns about allowing employees to travel from Pune but those are yet to be decided, the officials said. Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar said only those employees coming from the PCMC areas would be allowed at the moment. The Maharashtra government, on May 2, allowed industries in rural parts of Pune to reopen, with companies in the MIDC areas of Ranjangaon, Chakan and Kurkumbh making special arrangements for transporting their employees.