Industries resume operations during lockdown: Govt

In order to mitigate the hardship to the public in the backdrop of COVID-19, the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction notified Standard Operating Procedure for regulating activities of industries /industrial /commercial /private establishments in pursuance to measures being taken up during lockdown.

As per the order, the Industries & Commerce Departmenthas been vested with the authority for issuance of orders to permit operationof industrial units.  The SOP hasspecified the categories of industry to be permitted to operate during theperiod of lockdown which included Essential Commodities comprising Basic Foodprocessing activities, Packaged processed food items, Pharmaceuticals, Soaps,disinfectant and detergents, Agro products, Packaging Material, Cold Storages,Packaged Drinking water and Cotton Masks. In addition, some activities havealso been permitted on case to case basis like Repair of transformers and Partsthereof, production of cardboard/ wooden boxes for apple/ fruit packing,Industries operating in rural areas, Brick Kilns in rural areas and productionunits requiring continuous manufacturing process. Besides, manufacturingactivities within the Industrial Estates have been allowed on case to casebasis where the arrangement for stay of workers is possible within the premisesor an adjacent building.

   

Besides, the units manufacturing Medical/Healthinfrastructure items, Sanitization Tunnels/ fumigation Tunnels are also to bepermitted to operate on case to case basis if existing within the IndustrialEstates. Specific manufacturing activities, if essential, for meetingrequirement of the Government and projects like development/construction andother works of industrial estates are also to be permitted.

Likewise, services including Print and electronic media, IT& ITES, Data and Call Centres for Government activities only, CSCs, e-comcompanies, Courier Services, Cold Storage & warehousing, Private SecurityServices, Hotels & Home Stays accommodating persons stranded due tolockdown and establishments used for quarantine facilities would to bepermitted to operate.

The Department of Industries & Commerce under theguidance of Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, has permitted1007 industrial units to operate during the lockdown period in Jammu while as468 units have been permitted in Kashmir as per provisions of the StandardOperating Procedure. Corresponding to the above 786 units have resumed theiroperation in Jammu whereas 455 units have become operational in Kashmir.

The Department has facilitated operation of allPharmaceuticals and Oxygen gas bottling units. Other category of units whichhave been permitted to operate included Flour Mills, Rice Mills, Oil Mills,Packaging Material, Dal &Besan, Animal/ Poultry Feed, Surgical bandage,Disposal Syringes, Cotton and Dental material, Packaged Drinking Water, IodizedSalt, Agrochemicals, Spices, Cold Storage Facilities, Milk Processing, SoapDetergents, Sanitization Tunnels, Food Processing, Steel Rolling Mills/Furnaces, Plaster of Paris, Cement, Paints, PVC Granules, Mosquito Coils,Briquettes, Mattresses, Textiles, Cotton Masks etc.

The Industries & Commerce Department in unison with theDepartment of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs has been able to ensureavailability of essential commodities across J&K with effective maintenanceof supply chain with no shortage of any item been reported from any part of J&K.The department has also facilitated operation of some warehouses where thematerial was to be supplied for construction of Government projects like SteelAuthority of India Ltd.

However, permission for operating these units has beengranted on the condition of following Social distancing norms as specified bythe government under the notified SOP. The commuting of workers has to be donewith only 30% capacity of the mode of transport used. The owners are requiredto keep the premises properly sanitized.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

one + fifteen =