Jammu, May 28 (KNN) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have demanded to supply oxygen to industrial units.

The MSMEs made the demand during a meeting of Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA) held under the President ship of Lalit Mahajan on Friday to discuss the non-availability of oxygen to a number of industrial units. 

The industry association said that due to unavailability of oxygen the production has been stopped.

''As the administration has imposed a ban on the supply of oxygen cylinders to units; we fear that the number of units may suspend their production resulting in retrenchment of industrial workers in the present COVID-19 situation,'' BBIA said.

Lalit Mahajan also apprised Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Ranjan Prakash Thakur (IRTS) Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department that at present the oxygen manufacturing plants have the capacity to supply the oxygen by refilling cylinders of industrial units and it is the need of the hour to start the supplying of oxygen to the industrial units who have suspended their operations in last one month due to non-availability of the same.

''We request Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Ranjan Prakash Thakur (IRTS) Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department to give permission to oxygen manufacturing units for the refilling of cylinders of industrial units so that the operation can be resumed,'' BBIA added.