While employees from containment zones could not travel to work, for others the companies were asked to arrange dedicated transport.
A majority of large units in rural parts of Pune restarted operations after the district collector’s announcement that they will not require any special pass to function.
Sadashiv Survase, Joint Director, Directorate of Industries, said companies were working out logistics on how to transport their employees to offices.
Late on Monday, District Collector Naval Kishore Ram asked industries (outside the civic limits of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad) to restart work immediately. The collector said the administration had done away with the requirement of passes for them.
While employees from containment zones could not travel to work, for others the companies were asked to arrange dedicated transport. This has allowed most of the companies in Chakan, Ranjangaon and Talegaon belt to restart their operations.
Survase said following the orders of the district collector, most of the large units had started their operations laying out norms on how to transport their employees.
He also said issues such as sanitising premises and observation of social distancing norms were also being worked out. On Tuesday, Bharat Forge announced that it will restart operations for its Baramati plant. A press statement from the company said it had received permission from the local MIDC authorities in this regard.
“Bharat Forge is commencing operations in a graded manner with the Baramati facility reopening from today (April 5) and we expect production to commence by end of the week, after completion of mandatory safety checks and training of personnel on physical distancing, health and hygiene,” the press release read.
Survase said other companies in Ranjangaon, Chakan and Kurkumbh MIDC had also started their operations.
Meanwhile, Forum for IT Employees (FITE) — the union for IT employees — registered their protest against the decision of an IT giant to ask some of its employees to come to office at Hinjewadi IT Park.
Pavanjit Mane, president of FITE, said this was a clear violation of the Union ministry’s guidelines asking IT employees to work from home till the end of July. “Around 90 per cent work in IT companies can be done from home. Companies should take ample care so as to see the infection does not spread,” he said.