17/5/2020
PUNE: Small
scale firms at Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) areas and
industrial estates in Pune district are facing manpower crunch with stranded
migrant labourers returning to hometowns and villages following the Covid-19 spread.
The owners of small-scale firms at Chakan MIDC, one of the
most affected parts in Pune, now need labourers to resume their work. Jitendra
Dharashiv, owner of a company, said, “All our workers left for their native
places after the lockdown was declared. Now that the government has issued
relaxations to resume production, we do not have workforce to start our
business. We need skilled manpower to work on heavy machineries and it would be
very difficult to survive in such situations if there is no workforce.”
Janardan Joshi, manager, a pvt ltd company said, “Finding
skilled labour will be a big task once the lockdown opens and work resumes.
Half of the workforce from Chakan MIDC has returned to their hometowns and
villages due to the fear of coronavirus. The new workers who have approached us
are demanding high payment.”
Ramesh Rathod, vice-president of Gultekdi Industrial Estate area which is one of the oldest small scale industry units in Pune, said, “All the 40 units are shut down in our industrial estate. These units are surrounded by slums. Thirty per cent of workforce has left for their hometowns. Our request to the government is to allow us to start work with limited manpower and we will take necessary precautions.”
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