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MSMEs urge Karnataka govt to consider their workers as frontline workers

Updated: Jun 05, 2021 01:57:37pm
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MSMEs urge Karnataka govt to consider their workers as frontline workers

Bengaluru, Jun 5 (KNN) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) urged the Karnataka government to consider their workers as frontline workers and get them vaccinated.

Reportedly, this was put forward during a meeting called by Karnataka Government with the leaders and office-bearers from the leading industry bodies to discuss the issues concerning the businesses amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary P Ravikumar on Thursday.

The meeting touched upon issues impacting their businesses due to COVID lockdown, suggestions for solutions and relief from the Government and measures for restarting the economy post the lockdown.

According to an official release, the Chief Secretary, ''We had reached the peak of the COVID-19 second wave in May and had taken strict measures. To bring the current wave under control, the Government had to resort to stringent measures and impose a lockdown. However, we have now reached a stage and can resume industries operations in a staggered phase. Now is the time to move forward and re-open the economy,”

He acknowledged the issues raised by the industry bodies and of the opinion that these issues were reasonable.

''Few issues were financial and non-financial and the Government would take a look into these demands. Decision on the re-opening of essential and non-essential industries would be taken soon,'' he added.

On a possible third wave, the Chief Secretary said that the Government was working round-the-clock and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be in place to handle the pandemic.

During the meeting MSMEs also demanded to waive the monthly excise licence fee for the next six months. The fee is Rs 75,000 per month.

Waiver of BESCom bills and fixed charges for the lockdown period, ensure resuming of industries to smoothen the supply chain with other key industrial areas such as NCR, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, Consider MGNREGA for urban poor and Stress on creation of jobs and boost consumption were the other demands made by MSMEs.

Dr. Rajkumar Khatri, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce, Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Industries & Commerce,  Prashanth Prakash, Advisor (Policy & Strategy) to the Chief Minister, Industrialist T.V. Mohandas Pai, Ullas Kamath, Chairman, FICCI Karnataka State Council, Perikal M. Sundar, President, FKCCI, I.S. Prasad, FKCCI, President-Elect, K.B. Arsappa, President, KASSIA, M.P. Shyam, President, Automobile Association, P.C. Rao, President, Hotel Owners Association, C. Prakash, President, Peenya Industries Association, Prahlad representing IT sector, B.V. Naidu from ASSOCHAM, Shyam Raj of Tourism Industry, Ananda, President, Textile Industry, Govindraj of Real Estate Industry, attended the virtual meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary.

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