VIJAYAWADA: Even though, the Centre has given directions for partial relaxation of the lockdown for small-scale industrial units across the country after April 20, there is no such relief for the industrial units spread across Krishna district as many of them remain closed. Similar is the case of Asia’s largest automobile service hub, Jawaharlal Nehru Auto Nagar Industrial Estate also known as Auto Nagar located in the city, which was declared a red zone after a person tested positive for coronavirus in the area.
With uncertainty prevailing over resumption of operations, around 1.5 lakh people who depend on the industrial estate for their livelihood are left in a dilemma as they are unable to attend to their work due to the ongoing lockdown. ‘’A large section of workers were deprived of employment and food.
For a month, I was stranded here at my unit. Somehow, my owner managed and paid my wages for the last month and now, he has stopped taking my calls,” said B Venkatesh, a migrant worker from Khammam who works at a body building unit. He said, “The State government should make arrangements for us to reach our native places as our family members are in panic and there are no signs of resuming operations at my unit for the next few weeks.” There are several others like him.
4K workers stranded
As per the estimates by Auto Nagar Industrial Area Local Authority (AILA), around 4,000 migrant workers have been stranded at the industrial estate since the beginning of the lockdown. One of the workers K Durga Rao, a painter and a native of Palasa, said people like him are surviving on the support extended by NGOs and individuals, who are providing them meals twice a day. “A week ago, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials asked if we were willing to stay at rehabilitation centres. But we stayed here in order to keep an eye on the machinery at our unit,” he said, adding, “a few elderly persons working in our unit were shifted to rehabilitation centres.”
Speaking to TNIE on Wednesday, AILA chairman S Durga Prasad said currently the workers in rural areas across the district have resumed operations after the lockdown relaxation from Monday. However, there is uncertainty in the city, especially at AIEA because the entire locality has been declared a red zone by the district administration. ‘’We are not against the lockdown enforced by the government, but officials should also understand the situation of the employees who are deprived of work. Steps should be taken by the administration to confine the red zone areas to 3 km and provide relaxation for the industries spread across the remaining 27 km,” Durga Prasad said.