With industries reopening across Coimbatore district following relaxations in lockdown, a large number of the units are applying for e-passes to get their workers from other districts back and also to facilitate movement of employees within the State. However, with the applications on the rise, approvals are also getting delayed.
Official sources said that till Saturday, nearly 22,000 applications were received, including multiple applications from the same industry, and about 14,000 of them were approved. Nearly 5,000 were rejected for multiple reasons.
The officials pointed out that industries were applying online and government staff who were working from home were also involved in the approval process. But there were slight technical glitches too that led to slowdown in the process.
While some industries said there were no problems in getting the passes, some pointed out delays or rejection without a specific reason.
K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said the very purpose of taking the e-pass system online and permitting industries to restart is defeated because of the delay in getting the passes. The government should address the issues faced at the field level immediately so that industries and workers are not affected.
If an application is pending for more than six hours, the software should be modified to reflect it. Higher officials should monitor the approvals regularly and take appropriate action. There should be different levels of official monitoring to avoid delays or rejection of application without a valid reason, he said.