To retain industrial labour and prevent the migrant workers from leaving Punjab, the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, on Friday directed the state industry minister to take all possible welfare measures to ensure that they are well taken care of.
Chairing a meeting of the Council of Ministers today, the CM said it was a good sign that with the industry opening, 35 per cent of migrant workers who had registered for return back home had decided to stay back in Punjab for now. About 9500 industrial units have opened in the state since the easing of lockdown restrictions.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government is mulling changes in the excise policy and the labour laws in the light of the impact of Covid-19, amid efforts to revive the state’s battered economy and industry.
On the excise policy front, the Council sought the precise details of the Covid-19 and lockdown implications for the policy and its execution. The excise department has been asked to review the policy in this context and bring a detailed proposal before the Council of Ministers, which will meet again tomorrow to further discuss the issue.
Terming the prevailing situation as extraordinary, the Council felt that all possible options should be explored to put the excise industry back on its feet, especially given its importance to the state’s revenue model.