Since March 24, small and medium scale industries had ceased operations due to the nationwide lockdown. (File photo)
Small scale industries in Pimpri-Chinchwad are hoping to reopen from next week after the civic body’s Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar agreed to grant them permission to operate in areas not demarcated as containment zones.
According to a press statement issued by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Scale Industries Federation, the commissioner has said that an app will be created through which industries can submit applications to restart operations.
Since March 24, small and medium scale industries had ceased operations due to the nationwide lockdown. During the third phase of the lockdown, while industries in rural areas have been allowed to reopen, those in the red zones of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were not allowed to start.
Sandeep Belsare, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Scale Industries Association, said industries are facing financial difficulties and struggling for survival.
Two days ago, the association, in a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, said industries are losing business although the various loans they have taken still need to be serviced. In case they are not allowed to start, these small scale industries who act as vendors or sub-vendors to OEMs will not be able to fulfil the orders that were placed with them. Their labourers will also leave if work is not available to them.
Belsare said the association had urged Hardikar to allow industries to restart operations in Pimpri-Chinchwad’s non-containment zones. “The commissioner had then spoken to Bhusan Gagrani, the industry secretary, who had assured affirmative action,” he said.
The commissioner, Belsare said, had pointed out how Pimpri-Chinchwad is a red zone so units in non-containment zones will be allowed to start with ample precautions. Social distancing and frequent sanitising will have to be followed to ensure coronavirus does not spread, sources said.