Darshan Dawar, president, Knitwear Club, said, “The hosiery and textile industry has decided to go on a voluntary lockdown from Monday to Wednesday this week and from Saturday to Wednesday next week onwards. It is our contribution to stop the spread of coronavirus in the city.”

Bahadurke Textile and Knitwear Association president Tarun Jain Bawa said that the situation is worsening day by day and it can be controlled by imposing a lockdown in the city. The government should impose a complete lockdown and should not allow any industry and shop to operate for at least seven days. This would bring down the number of cases and the government would get time for the preparation to fight against Covid., he added.

The associations said that they would also discharge their social duty and would take care of their workers and their families.

Vipan Vinayak, president of Knit and Fab Hosiery Association, said that at least 38 associations had decided to observe a voluntary lockdown.

Industrial associations demand imposition of complete lockdown

As Covid deaths are rising exponentially, the demand for imposing a lockdown in the city is getting louder. The death of Dinesh Lakra, 56, a city-based industrialist and vice-president of Laghu Udyog Bharati and member of the governing body of Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), who had succumbed to Covid-19 on April 30, triggered panic among the industrialists.

This is the first time that the industry and traders are asking the government to impose a lockdown.

Darshan Dawar said that they had demanded a complete lockdown for at least one week in the city to control the spread of the virus. The representatives of the association also met cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu to discuss the same.

He added that if needed the government should extend the lockdown for another week.

“We have sent at least 10 letters to chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for a complete lockdown in Punjab or at least in the city as Ludhiana has the maximum number of Covid cases and deaths in the state,” said Badish Jindal, president of Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association.

“The city hospitals are already struggling to meet the need for oxygen and beds. The lockdown will break the chain of Covid infection,” he added.

Gurmeet Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation, claimed that they were the first to request the government to impose a complete lockdown in the city.