Madura

Plea to lift total lockdown

Trade bodies met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami during his visit here on Thursday and asked him to lift the total lockdown on Sundays and do away with e-pass for inter-district travel.

In a memorandum, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that inter-district travel was inevitable for business people since clients and dealers must be met in person. But it was difficult to get e-pass.

Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association president B. Muruganantham said since most Sundays in August were auspicious, the total lockdown must be lifted. “Small-scale industries face a cash crunch. Dues from government departments, particularly the Electricity Board, are long pending. So all government agencies must be directed to clear their dues to small scale units.

The State government must encourage foreign investors to set up units in the southern districts to arrest migration of unemployed people to big cities, he said.

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