Industries may be allowed to work with some curbs in Pune

PUNE: State government officials have ruled out a complete lockdown for the industry in Pune, calming the nerves of the businessmen.
The lockdown guidelines, expected in a day or two, will outline the finer details, but the officials said industries would be allowed to operate with certain restrictions. For now, 100% staff is allowed in industrial units and 50% in private firms.
“There will be restrictions like allowing employees to travel only by bus, among others, for a limited period,” Sadashiv Survase, joint director of industries, Maharashtra, said.
Pimpri Chinchwad municipal commissioner said nobody wanted a lockdown, but strict measures for a short period were necessary to arrest the rapid rise in positive cases. He said a call on which industries can operate will be taken in a day or two.
“We hope that no new steps are taken that disrupts the unlocking of industries and supply chains. Livelihoods are just about rebuilding. It would be very costly intervention for our economy in general and for lives depending upon these livelihoods in specific,” Prashant Girbane, director general, Mahratta Chambers of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), said.
The small-scale industries are particularly on the edge. Pimpri Chinchwad Small Scale Industries president Sandeep Belsare said, “Do they have statistics to prove that positive count is increasing from industry? Just because some people are not adhering to rules, does not mean that industries should be shut. We are already only working at 35-40% of labour force and a lockdown now will impact labourers who are willing to return.”
Dalit Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (DICCI) founder Milind Kamble said the move would severely impact the supply chain. “What about goods that are in transit...all things have just started to move,” he said.