April 13, 2020
MSME Ministry recommends opening of units in areas which are not classified as Coronavirus hotspots; the ministry said the responsibility will be on MSMEs to ensure safety of employees and workers
Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) Nitin Gadkari has suggested the Prime Minister’s Office to consider allowing manufacturers resume operations in areas that are not classified as coronavirus hotspots.
Gadkari has said that the ministry was also into discussion and trying to work out certain guidelines and strategy collaborating with state governments to bring back the migrant so that the manufacturers can restart production in the MSME sector.
Tens of thousands of migrant workers have returned to hometown in the countryside because of the coronavirus lockdown leaving them no other choice.
Gadkari, who also supervises highways and road transport as well as shipping, said in a video conference that his departments had responded positively to the suggestion that production as well as construction of roads and highways be resumed in areas that are not affected by COVID-19 and by doing so the impact of the lockdown is burned down.
Gadkari emphasized that the responsibility will be shared by the owners of MSME and construction units and contractors to ensure that their facilities and units are safe for workers and that there are provisions for food, shelter and healthcare.
“There are nearly 20 lakh migrant workers in government-run camps, many are stuck midway. We have to bring them back and district collectors will have to give permission for that. We are working to removed bottlenecks with the help of state governments; but the factory owners will have to ensure that workers are looked after,” the minister said.
He said over 600,000 MSMEs had been restructured before March and he is hopeful that another 800,000 more will be seen restructured in the coming months.