IndiaPune city and Pimpri Chinchwad were declared ascontainment zones, following a spike in coronavirus cases andrelated deaths in the district.
"As there are restrictions on the movement from Puneand PCMC areas, which are hotspots of coronavirus cases, it isimpossible for firms to transport their workforce tofactories, as the district administration will not grant thempermission," secretary of Federation of Chakan IndustriesDileep Batwal said.
The district administration had granted permission toresume industrial activities with a rider that firms cannottransport their workforce from hotspots and they will have toarrange accommodations and food for their employees onpremises of plants, he said.
Such arrangements are not feasible for majority of thefirms, he said, adding that there was no option but to waittill the lockdown was lifted.
"We had requested the Maharashtra IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (MIDC) to make such arrangements forlabourers but they claimed that they do not have anyinfrastructure," Batwal added.
Narendra Patil, head of Human Resources at KalyaniHeys Wheels Ltd said as majority of their workforce lives inPune and Pimpri Chinchwad, they have decided not to resumeoperations till May 3.
Around 350 workers come from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwadto their plant in Chakan, he said.
"We have sought permits for 35 workers who will stayat the plant to maintain machinery, so that when work beginsafter May 3, operations can run smoothly," he said.
According to a senior official from Pune MIDC, mostcompanies were located in Pimpri, Chinchwad and Bhosariindustrial areas, which are containment zones.
"There are big manufacturing units in Chakan andRanjangaon MIDC areas. However, majority of their workforcelive in Pune and PCMC so resumption of the plants looksdifficult," he said. SPKARU ARU