FIL Industries on Saturday said the company has suspended operations at its controlled storage facility and voluntarily allowed testing of its employees.
Reacting to a news reporton COVID19 cases at its industrial units in Kashmir, the company said it hasmultiple operating units across J&K.
In a statement, aspokesperson said a fruit packer/grower from Budgam, who was not an employee ofthe company and who was last at the company’s controlled atmospheric facilitieson April 29 tested positive for COVId19 on May 6.
Accordingly, as aprecautionary measure, the spokesperson said, the company suspended theoperations at its controlled storage facility and informed the authorities forvoluntary testing of its employees.
“The test results camepositive for four employees while as the result for others were negative whohave been put in mandatory quarantine,” said the spokesperson.
He said all due measuresfor further sanitisation of the controlled atmospheric facility have also beenundertaken.
The company also clarifiedthat the controlled atmospheric facility was a separate unit and does not sharecommon locations with the agrochemical/fruit concentrate and other businessesof the company.
The Company also said allCOVID19 preventive measures were taken at its controlled atmospheric facilitiesin line with the guidelines and “all four cases were completely asymptotic.”
The spokesperson said as anessential service provider for the storage of apples for the farmers, and toassist the farmers at this critical juncture of apple marketing, the companyhas invested fully in COVID19 measures including new usage of PPE kits, socialdistancing and masks before the incident and will continue to strengthen the samegoing forward.
“The controlled atmosphericfacility and cold store operations are permitted as essential services by theguidelines of government of India and the government of Jammu and Kashmir. Thecompany has been fully compliant with these guidelines and will adhere with thesame going forward. We would like to ask the media to be responsible in itsreporting at such a difficult time for the society at large and not publishunchecked news,” said the spokesperson.