The Centre announced these guidelines a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3. (Photo: Vishal Srivastav)
With around 15 lakh farmers harvesting and transporting their produce to grain markets over the next one month and a half, the Punjab government is mulling over whether to provide relaxations as per guidelines the Centre issued Wednesday.
The Centre announced these guidelines a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3.
Sources in the government told The Indian Express that the issue was being debated and it was unlikely that the state government would follow the Centre’s guidelines.
“We need to understand that we have gone a step further than a lockdown. We have imposed a curfew. We have not allowed any relaxations in the curfew ever since it has been imposed. Punjab is unlikely to relax the curfew even to allow people to meet their essential needs. We have not allowed opening of any shops. Deputy commissioners of districts have been ensuring home delivery of goods. This was achieved with huge effort. We do not plan to relax it in the coming days. The chief secretary will be taking up the matter with the chief minister as the guidelines come into force from April 20. There are still five days to go. But I do not think we will initiate relaxations,” a government official told The Indian Express.
The official added that all efforts were being made to flatten the curve of COVID-19 and the government had succeeded to quite an extent. Relaxations would mean people coming out in hordes and it was not the right time to allow that to happen.
A senior official said that the CM had written to the Prime Minister seeking allowing opening of construction and other industry so that the labour could be retained. “We will allow the industry to function, but only if it is able to keep labour inside the campus and provide food and shelter without allowing them to move out of factory premises. Only the locked-in mode will be allowed. We do not want labour spilling out on the roads,” the official added.
About the rural industry like brick kilns, most of these were functioning in the state, but construction activity was stopped, which was threatening to stop brick production as well. “We are taking a call on this also. If we allow construction and roads, that means the other supply line like cement, sand and steel too has to be allowed. We will take a call soon,” the official said.
BOX: INDUSTRY TAKE
Brick kilns
Most of the 3,000 brick kilns in the state are functioning, said Kuldeep Singh Makkar, patron of the Punjab State Brick Kiln Owners Association.
“We had started after the government allowed it. But now, the bricks are lying in our compounds and there are no takers. The demand will only be there if construction activity starts. We have been able to retain our labour. They did not leave the state. But now, things may get tough. Though these workers are helping farmers harvest their crops, this time will pass. Let us see.”
Bicycles
S S Bhogal of Bhogal Cycles and former chairperson of CII Punjab Council, said the relaxation for industry could be fine for some industries dealing in food but not for the cycle industry. “Who will buy our cycles in this scenario when food and medicine is the priority? We cannot keep manufacturing bicycles when the shops which sell these are not opened. Also, we are dependent on the allied industry for spare parts. They are also not opening. And they cannot afford to keep the labour inside as they run from small outlets,” he said.
MSME
S C Ralhan, former president of Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO), said this relaxation did not mean anything for MSMEs which were running from small units. “About 99 per cent of 5 lakh units in Punjab, these industries did not have residential quarters for labour. How can we provide them shelter? We cannot even ensure social distancing inside the premises as our units are small.”