Small scale industries and factory owners on Sunday urged the Delhi government to keep manufacturing and production units open at at least 50% capacity to avoid migration of migrant workers, as the number of Covid cases rise in the city.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that The government did not intend to impose a lockdown And people should follow covid-appropriate behavior to avoid this.
Cases have risen sharply in the city over the past two weeks, with more than 22,000 cases reported on Sunday alone. The number of active cases is above 60,000.
A meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will be held on Monday to discuss the cases, hospital beds and restrictions.
Meanwhile, industry leaders said panic was being created among daily wage workers in the city.
Following a surge in cases, the Delhi government last week imposed a weekend curfew, shutting down all non-essential activities, including industries and factories that do not produce or manufacture essential goods.
Industry and factory associations said many workers were fearing the lockdown and were planning to move to their villages or NCR cities, where there are no restrictions.
“Industries faced huge losses in the ban after the first two waves and recently air pollution. While they will move on, it is the laborers who have suffered – their livelihood depends on daily earnings. Rajan Sharma, president of Delhi Factory Owners Federation and president of Okhla Industrial Estate Association, said, “No one has visited my factory yet, but there are rumors of a lockdown.
Anil Gupta, president of the East Delhi Manufacturers Association, said, “Delhi has 3,000 factories and small industries and due to night and weekend curfew, they have suffered a loss of Rs 25-30 crore in just a few days… Quit, let them regroup. It’s very difficult to do. They will not stop even if the curfew is extended for two more days. We request the government to allow industries to operate with at least 50% capacity.
Puneet Goel, who runs a steel and machine cutting industry in Anand Parvat Industrial Area, said he had built staff quarters with independent toilets for casual workers as they had suffered the most during the lockdown.
“It is not just the weekend curfew, but the restrictions at night have affected industries as well as laborers – many people also work in loading, unloading and transport and have been affected due to the night curfew.”
Manufacturing and factory unions also suggested that the government allow industries to run round the clock so that workers can stay in the premises.
Neeraj Sehgal, general secretary of the Mayapuri Industrial Welfare Association, said small industries contribute 30% to the GDP: “The government should consult us before taking any decision. Lakhs of laborers will be in trouble again.
There are about 1 lakh registered MSMEs in Delhi and about 10 lakh workers are employed here. Of these, 60 per cent are permanent and 40 per cent are casual workers.
Government officials did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment.
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