Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Apr 27: The industrial sector has welcomed the decision of the state government in giving them relaxation from the lock down that is imposed in the state for the next 14 days in the wake of the rising cases of coronavirus second wave infections. However, the issue they are facing is the transportation of labourers to the factories as government as well as private buses are prohibited from operating during the lockdown.

Industrialists say that they have plans to bring the labourers by private buses. However, last time police had created ruckus in this matter also. So they are hoping that this time around police will not create any obstacles for the transportation of labourers.

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Except for the garment industry, all other industries are exempted from the lockdown that the state government has announced from April 27 to May 12. There are no garment factories in Mangaluru. However, there are factories of plastic, pharmaceutical, engineering and food products. The demand will never deplete for food and plastics. But for other industries, though the production will be the same, distribution will be difficult as no transportation is allowed during lockdown. Those who are sending the manufacture products to outstation states do not have any issue. Liquid oxygen supply has stopped for engineering industries since two days. So these industries are badly affected.

Some industries can just produce and keep the produced goods as stock in their warehouses as there will not be sales during lockdown. But this is better than completely closing down the factories according to Gaurav Hegde of Small Scale Industries' Association. Another positive point is that this time around most of the labourers are still in town and have not left to their native places.

Isaac Vas, president of Kanara Chamber of Commerce says, "We thought that the state government would approach the chiefs of commercial and industrial organizations before taking such a tough stance like lockdown. Already a year has passed by after the Covid pandemic has started. Now there is no order from the union government for imposing lockdown. So there will be no Atmanirbhar package. If the society is locked down it simply means that the economy is also locked down. It is very difficult for industrialists to pay taxes, loans etc taken on their industries. Coming days will be really tough."

Vas also cautioned that the time slot of 6 am to 10 am everyday morning will increase the chances of crowding of people as the window is very narrow. This will defeat the very intention of imposing lockdown.