Pune: Police to rope in industry bodies to issue passes during lockdown

Special passes will be issued for employees of the units which will be functional during the lockdown period.(Representational)

Industry bodies like the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture and CREDAI would be allowed to assist the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerates to issue passes for industries during the 10-day lockdown. Dr Deepak Mhasikar, divisional commissioner of Pune, while interacting with the industry bodies on Sunday urged industries to undertake antigen testing of its employees in case anyone tests positive in their unit.

Industries have been allowed to function during the lockdown, which would otherwise see all other activities including sale of vegetables, etc cease starting from Monday midnight. Mhashikar clarified that the police or the administration would not stop the passage of goods vehicles during the period of the lockdown. IT industries would be allowed to function with 15 per cent of their workforce. Mhashikar urged the companies to encourage work from home. “For the manufacturing and capital goods sector we have allowed normal activities but the companies will have to make arrangements for transportation of their employees. Companies can arrange buses for transport. Employees can also use four-wheelers,” he said. Companies can also hire buses of the transport body at minimal cost during the lockdown period.

Special passes will be issued for employees of the units which will be functional during the lockdown period. The police will be issuing passes for employees who need to travel during the period. Dr K Venkatesham, Commissioner of Police, Pune, said industry bodies like MCCIA and CREDAI will be roped in to issues the passes. “We will allow them access to the system which will allow passes to be issued,” he said. On asked whether the old passes will be valid this time, the police commissioner said they won’t be valid. During the previous lockdowns the police had issued over 3.5 lakh passes.

Prashant Girbane, director general of MCCIA, said they would be putting up a special team to help the industries process their passes. Police officials said the passes would be issued within two hours of the applications received. Sadashiv Survase, joint directorate of industries, said the portal run by MIDC to issue passes will also be available for issuance of the same.