District Collector K. Rajamani on Thursday held talks with industry associations on how industrial operations can commence in the district when the lockdown is lifted on May 4. The Collector will submit his suggestions to the State Government and the district will follow the final orders of the Government.
Coimbator District Small Industries Association president R. Ramamurthy told reporters after the meeting that the discussions included standard operational procedures that the industries should follow, possible areas of operation, etc. The indications are that the district will look at first permitting industries in rural areas to operate, then those in peripheral areas and finally those in the city. “It will be a slow start. Industries in containment zones cannot operate,” he said.
J. James, president of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Tiny Enterprises, said the Collector asked about the expectations of the industry. Regarding the demand of the industries to keep shops open for the units to buy the required consumables, he had said he will consider it, Mr. James said.
Textile mill sources said spinning units, including those in the city, that house the workers on their premises should be permitted to operate. In the case of foundries, sources said very few units have accommodation for the workers on the premises. However, for most of the foundries, the workers live in the vicinity in accommodations arranged by the units. But, for the mills and the foundries, the supervisory staff should have permission to travel to the workplaces, the sources said.
The industry owners point out that initially, when they are permitted to operate the factories, only maintenance works can be taken up and those who have raw materials will be able to take up production. For many of the industries, the raw materials, such as copper, need to come from the north. If the industries in the northern States do not operate, there will be a break in the supply chain. So, the government should permit 40 % to 50 % capacity utilisation and scale it up gradually, they say.
In the case of powerlooms in the district, the job working unit owners claim they have not received payments from the master weavers. “The powerloom sector can function full-fledged only if the north Indian market is opened up. A substantial quantity of fabric made him goes to the north,” says one of the job workers in Somanur.
Another major sector located in the city is the micro and small-scale industries. Industry sources say nearly 25,000 units are located within the city. However, many of the unit owners and the workers have gone back home to other districts in the State. If there are no relaxations, just about 25 % of these units will be able to operate when they are permitted too.
Further, several workers are staying across the city and they should be able to commute to the workshops. A potential risk is that if the units are allowed to operate, the owners may try to get back the workers from other districts, taking several risks, the sources say.
