With fewer people, industries eye slow start after relaxations

Those allowed limited operations will have to cope with disruptions in supply chain, limited workforce

nNEWDELHI: Industries resuming production from Monday will work much below their capacities because of restrictions imposed by states and most the workforce having left for their home states, industry leaders in different states said on Friday.

They said the possibility of employing stranded migrant labourers, except in the construction industry, is not high because of the specific skills needed in each industry. They also feared that the possibility of the stranded labourers returning home when the lockdown is lifted is high, an eventuality that will further hamper production.

The Central government had issued guidelines for allowing all industries in rural areas and certain industries in non-hot spot regions of urban areas to begin operating from Monday.

The state governments have issued specific protocols, which include boarding and lodging facility and transportation for workers.

The Karnataka government hinted that IT-BT companies could be allowed to start limited operations from Monday. Deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan met representatives of technology companies. Later, while speaking to the media, he said that while the lockdown would continue after April 20, technology companies could start operating with 50% employees coming in every other day. Karnataka exports about $40 billion in technology services and the sector is the biggest employer in the organised sector in the state.

The minister also said that technology employees would not need the special pass required by others. “If the technology companies want, we can provide sanitised public transport buses.”

Badish Jindal, president of the Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association, said strict conditions, such as accommodating labour within the factory premises and holding the owner responsible if any worker contracts the infection, made many owners of industrial units reluctant to resume production.

“Not more than 2% of the small and medium units have the space to accommodate the workers on their premises,” he said.

Revival of all industrial activity is being seen as a measure to provide employment to workers unemployed since March 24.

Industry leaders in different states said that only about 5-10% of the industries will be operational and many small and medium industries will not function as they do not have places for workers to stay, a condition imposed by most states.

In Punjab, which has about 2,50,000 industrials units, not many will operate, said additional chief secretary, home,

Satish Chandra.

PHDCCI (Punjab) ex-chairman, RS Sachdeva, whose own unit is operating at half its capacity, said resumption of manufacturing in a substantive manner will be very difficult till the entire supply chain (availability of raw material and delivery of manufactured products) is established.

Maharashtra government will allow the industrial operations in about 20 districts which have none or a few Covid -19 patients from April 20 and aims to facilitate resumption of operations of at least 60% of the 4.5 lakh MSMES by the end of April.

“We are preparing a proposal to begin industrial operations in about 20 (of 36 total) districts from next week,” said industries minister Subhash Desai.

Maharashtra has the highest number of Covid-19 cases (3202) and has reported 194 deaths till Thursday.