Ludhiana, Oct 7 (KNN) With Prime Minister Narendra Modi vising the manufacturing hub of Punjab for the MSME National Award Ceremony, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have pinned hope on him to listen to their woes.

The preparation for PM Modi’s visit to Ludhiana is in full swing. The MSME Ministry is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the programme is organized smoothly.

PM Modi scrapping the elitist Vigyan Bhawan and moving to the hotspot of MSMEs for presenting awards to the MSME entrepreneurs is sure to boost the morale of Ludhiana MSMEs. But at the same time, the small cycle manufacturers from the region, who have been raising the crucial issues for their survival, for quite some time now, are still waiting for the MSME Department’s intimation to facilitate a meeting between the industry representatives and PM Modi.

“We don’t have any intimation about PM Modi’s visit to Ludhiana,” said Rajeev Jain, General Secretary, United Cycles and Parts Manufacturers Association.

“We had urged the MSME Department to facilitate a meeting with the PM, but so far we have not got a chance to meet him,” he said.

The cycle manufacturers in August had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention over Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)’s order mandating bicycle manufacturers for using specific reflectors in the bicycle.

The Supreme Court had formed a committee on Road Safety which has made mandatory use of specific reflectors on the bicycle which are not currently manufactured in India and have to be imported from China. 

Cycle industry had said that reflectors with these standards (ISO-6742, international standard) are manufactured by only one company in China. This decision is not only creating monopoly for one Chinese company but also putting a question mark why a product which is currently not manufactured in India is being made mandatory.

The cycle manufacturers of Ludhiana, most of which are MSMEs, also fear of losing their businesses to the Chinese companies to be established at the Ludhiana Cycle Valley.

Punjab Government is coming up with a 300 acres cycle valley project at Dhanansu village of Ludhiana.

Apart from this, some cycle manufacturers from the region were also upset with the Rajasthan Government over its tender to buy 3 lakh bicycles.

The tender wanted the participating units to have a minimum turnover of Rs 200 crore, which surely keeps the MSME units out of its ambit.

Now, it is for all to wait and watch whether these small entrepreneurs from the manufacturing hub of the country get to meet the PM or not. (KNN Bureau)