Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
To facilitate the much-needed industrial revival in the state, and responding to concerns expressed by various industry associations, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Thursday, allowed tiny/cottage industries in non-containment mixed-use areas of Ludhiana to immediately resume operations, in order to support the opening of bigger industries that are dependent on the small ones for components.
The resumption of operations in these small units, which normally had labour living on or in the vicinity of the premises, would be subject to requirements of access control and strict compliance with the COVID SOPs, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh asserted.
The Chief Minister said repeated requests had been received from industry associations to allow the opening of industries in mixed-land use, with access control in non-containment zones of Ludhiana district, subject to adherence of all COVID SOPs/guidelines.
State Industry Minister Sunder Sham Arora had also suggested that such small units should be allowed to function in order to enable the bigger industries to start operations, he added.
Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said he had been informed that industry in certain industrial areas in Ludhiana was not yet open despite being permitted to operate under the recent guidelines allowing industries falling in SEE/EOUs /Industrial Estates/Focal Points/Designated Industrial areas, as per the Master Plan of Ludhiana, to resume operations.
“Ludhiana has approximately 95,000 MSMEs, offering employment to more than 10 lakh skilled and non-skilled industrial workers. These workers belong to various states of the country, and as a result of the prolonged lockdown, have become unemployed and are facing great hardship,” the Chief Minister noted.
Unfortunately, he observed, that despite easing of the restrictions, only 6,900 of the industries in Ludhiana had so far resumed activities. Many of the industries were not able to start their works as they were dependent on various small and tiny cottage industries which provided them components, and most of these small/tiny/cottage industries were located in the mixed-land use areas as per the notified Master Plan, pointed out the Chief Minister.
Even as he directed the district administration to immediately encourage industry to open for the benefit of the large number of labourers employed there, Captain Amarinder noted that as per extant notification of town planning department/notified Master Plan, existing industries in mixed-land use areas were allowed to operate. Therefore, these industries needed to be permitted as they were also part of the supply chain to the industries which fall in SEE/EOUs/Industrial Estates/Focal Points/Designated Industrial areas as per the master plan of Ludhiana, he pointed out.
The micro/tiny industries in mixed-land areas constitute about 50 per cent of the industrial set-up in the district and employ about five to six lakh workers.
Established about four decades back, these have been granted industrial connections and, for all practical purposes, these mixed-land areas are considered as industrial pockets for green industries.
