Industrialists in Coimbatore wait for ‘clear guidelines’ to resume operations

COIMBATORE: With chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami allowing private firms across the state to function from 10am to 7pm with 33% workforce, industrialists in the district are in two minds about resuming operations. Only after functioning for a week, will they come to know the practical hassles and the way forward, they said.
As the announcement was general and encompassed all sectors, industrialists are mulling to open units on Monday, district president of the Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Tiny Enterprises (TACT) J James said. “After 45 days of lockdown, none of the micro units have funds. We will open just to keep the business running and involve our workers. Only after we function for a week, will we know what all problems we face regarding orders and workforce, and represent our issues to the state.”
“Many of the guest workers want to return home. We will be able to know how many of them remain here only in the coming week,” James said. “Restrictions such as 10am to 7pm and 33% of the workforce will not be appropriate for functioning industries. The state should allow industrial units to function as usual without the restrictions.”
Meanwhile, another section of industrialists said they were unsure of opening units as the announcement was not specific to the industrial sector. They will wait till there is a specific announcement or till the lockdown ends, whichever comes first, they said.