Garment units with export commitments reopened yesterday in Karnataka as the state’s industry is slowly gaining pace amid challenges like labour shortage and lack of public transport. The state has allowed garment units registered with the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) to operate with one-third workforce with several restrictions removed for industries.
The state industries department is also helping them make face masks in large numbers.
The mandatory requirement of police passes has been removed and employees can commute to work and back with their ID cards, according to a report in top business daily.
Chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar had last week facilitated seamless inter-district movements declaring the districts of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Kolar and Chikkaballapur as one unit.
The state is working to address issues like inadequate supply of raw materials to run industrial units and getting workers back to Bengaluru as many have returned to their native places within the state.
State industries minister Jagadish Shettar has written to the central government requesting a financial package to help the struggling industrial sector. He has asked for working capital loan to industries under the existing lines of credit and collateral to help them tide over the short-term liquidity crisis.
Chief minister BS Yediyurappa has already allowed micro, small and medium enterprises deferred payment of fixed charges of electricity by two months.
