Gurugram plans to allow 4,000 manufacturing units to start their operations on temporary basis

GURUGRAM: The Haryana government has now begun to draw plans for kick-starting Gurugram's economy by opening more than 33 per cent of the manufacturing units in a phased manner in the coming days.

With 300 manufacturing units already given permission, the district administration plans to allow 4,000 more such units to start their operations temporarily.

A strategy is being devised along with the factory owners of getting more than 40,000 workers back to work.

The first phase of lockdown from March 22 to April 20 had a disastrous impact on the manufacturing units in Gurugram.

According to an official data compiled by the public agencies, around 12,500 of the manufacturing units remained closed resulting in more than four lakh workers being employed in these units to be unproductive.

In turn, a loss of Rs 10,000 crore was incurred by the state exchequer due to closure of these manufacturing units in Gurugram.

The public officials are willing to take the risk despite the fact of Gurugram is placed in the red zone.

After giving permission to the major auto manufacturing units like Maruti, Hero and Honda motors, there are also plans to allow temporary operations of auto ancillary units, garment export units and construction and agricultural industrial units. There are also plans to start the brick kiln units around the city that employs a large number of migrated labourers.

It is important to note that the Gurugram administration has already given the permission to those industries which employes 10 or less than 10 workers.

Taking note of the economic distress and loss of livelihoods of workers being caused by the closure of these units, even the local politicians have begun to raise the issue of the opening of the industrial units with proper safeguards.

"I have taken cognisance of the problems being faced by the factory owners and lakhs of workers whose livelihood is dependent on the functioning of the industries.

The district administration is now allowing the opening of these units in a phased manner. As an elected representative, I am making sure that all the industrial units that have now begun their operations do not face problems of any kind," said Rakesh Daultabad, MLA Badshahpur, the largest Vidhan Sabha constituency in Gurugram.

However, in giving the permissions, the public officials are also asking the factory owners to ensure that proper social distancing norms in the premises are being followed.