A delegation of Vidarbha Rural Industries Association met district collector Ravindra Thakare under the leadership of its president Farooqbhai Akbani, also present was Dipen Agrawal, President of CAMIT.
They informed District Collector about the economic damage caused by the lockdown to the established timber industries in Nagpur rural areas. They demanded to include timber industry and sawmill into essential service and give the permission to start it.
The delegation also submitted a memorandum in this regard. During the meeting Akbani said that entrepreneurs are under loss and facing mental stress due to the shutdown of many small scale industries.
They are unable to fulfill their house expenses, rent, government tax, electricity bill, bank interest, salary of employees etc. Nagpur rural has 2000 sawmills. It gives employment to more than 6000 employees directly and many others indirectly.
Due to lockdown, they are on the verge of starvation. A quarter of the amount has to be deposited in advance for the import of timber and purchases from government depots. However, three fourth of the amount has to be paid in 45 days. If this amount is not deposited on time, the advance is seized and the industrial unit is blacklisted.
With the shutdown of sawmills, industries are not getting wood for industrial work and poor people have to suffer. In such a situation, timber industry and sawmill should be included in essential service. On this, district collector Thakare assured to take necessary steps in this regard.
Also present were Salim Ajani and others.
