Bengaluru: A state government decision on the joint request of the Karnataka state industry bodies for reopening industries with following strict COVID-19 appropriate behavior is expected shortly.
The representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Karnataka, Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), and the Automotive Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Karnataka and Hosur, made a joint representation to the chief minister B S Yediyurappa on May 22, 2021, to this effect immediately after the announcement of the extension of the lockdown.
They requested for a reconsideration of the decision on lockdown “in view of many industries, including MSMEs and export units, being not able to sustain lockdowns in the current form which is causing extreme distress and financial burdens on their employees.”
The joint team of Kamal Bali, former chairman, CII – Karnataka, T R Parasuraman, president, BCIC, and Satish Machani, chairman, ACMA – Karnataka, met the Chief Minister on Tuesday to apprise him of the situation. The team assured the Chief Minister that “all appropriate strict COVID-19 protocols will be followed by the industries. Further, the opening will give a big relief to all the industries. The team also assured the Chief Minister of the continued CSR support from industries in these challenging times,” a joint press release from the industry bodies said.
The chief minister thanked the industry captains for the support and expressed to review the opening of the industries in a phased manner with strict COVID-19 protocols. Yediyurappa also referred to the growing COVID positive cases in rural Karnataka recently and was hopeful of bringing the same under control in the next few days, the release said.
Kamal Bali said “Clearly, there is a complete alignment in the prime objectives of the government and the industry in terms of saving lives, livelihoods and ushering in growth. The CM was assured of the industry’s compliance to COVID appropriate protocol and behaviour. Considering all these imperatives, the CM assured us of a favorable decision on our request very soon.”
T R Parasuraman said, “The chief minister along with the industry minister and his team are doing a commendable job in these difficult times. I am sure given the current situation, the CM will review and open the industries at the earliest while doing a fine balancing act between saving lives and livelihood.”
Satish Machani, said, “The CM and administration have displayed exemplary leadership in these unprecedented times. On behalf of ACMA, I informed the CM that if Karnataka halts, India halts and in fact, even the world will get impacted as we are all linked. The CM was very understanding and we hope to receive an order which balances lives and livelihoods. We promised to follow all protocols necessary to keep safety as the first priority.”