Members of industry associations fear that such measures being adopted in other parts of the country and in neighbouring Delhi will have adverse implications for businesses located in Gurgaon. (File) Despite the Gurgaon administration not announcing any curfew or curbs on movement in light of the rise in Covid cases in the district, members of industry associations fear that such measures being adopted in other parts of the country and in neighbouring Delhi will have adverse implications for businesses located in Gurgaon.
There are two main concerns among members of industry associations — fear that workers will panic and a mass exodus will ensue as they rush to their homes for the second time in a year, and apprehensions of the supply chain and demand being affected because of curbs in states such as Maharashtra.
“Workers are getting concerned because of the night curfew in Delhi and the lockdown in Maharashtra. There is fear of another lockdown here as well,” said Deepak Maini, general secretary of the Haryana Chapter of the Federation of Indian Industry.
Animesh Saxena, CEO of Neetee Apparel LLP and president of Udyog Vihar Industrial Association, said, “There is definitely an apprehension. The government should not do any knee-jerk reaction like closing the borders or putting other restrictions. There have been rumors that there could be a lockdown, and we are worried that workers will panic and transport will be curtailed, because of which there may be an exodus. We are trying to assure them that there is no such thing, but the government should be very careful.”
“They should ideally share a detailed plan that if cases go up, these measures will be taken, so there is no rumour. There has to be a very professional, graded action plan shared with the industry and public so that there is no panic and people are prepared,” he said.
Ashok Kohli, president of the Chamber of Industries of Udyog Vihar, said: “The real test will be the demand, given lockdowns like in Maharashtra, because our sale is dependent on not just one state but the entire country… if the demand goes down, everything goes down. The crux of the business is demand”.
Gurgaon has since March seen a surge in coronavirus cases, with the district currently having over 3,500 active cases for the first time this year, and a positivity rate of 7.9 per cent. The Civil Surgeon had Tuesday issued a health advisory, which recommended “work from home” to be followed where possible and “work staggering” in industries. No orders to this effect have been issued yet.
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