An exclusive webinar was held by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on 10 April 2020, discussing challenges and opportunities for Uttar Pradesh during and post-COVID-19.
The state government has resolved issues regarding ensuring pass, raw material, supply, transportation, finished goods supply, etc. This also includes clearance and approval for new entrants in essential commodity manufacturing.
The state government has initiated the District Industrial Centre at ground level in coordination with the district administration, various government agencies and Central-level help to resolve various issues related to ensure smooth operations across the value chain of manufacturing essential commodities.
A total of 891 flour mills, 429 oil mills, 322 dal mills, 59 masks and PPE kits units, and 81 hand sanitisers units are operational. Shramik Bharan Poshan Yojna launched under which the first installment of Rs 1,000 in the account of 11 lakh workers through Direct Beneficiary Transaction (DBT) has been transferred.
The state government is also giving maintenance allowance of Rs 1,000 to street vendors, rickshaw pullers, e-rickshaw drivers and porters. A budgetary provision of Rs 203.77 core has been made at all districts.
Supply Mitra, an online platform to facilitate online delivery of groceries from local stores, has been launched. Annapurna, an online platform to give location of free cooked foods and food packets, has been launched.
Fixed and demand charges for March 2020 and April 2020 have been deferred by the state government. Apart from this, migrant labour crisis management was speedily managed through arranging food, night shelter and arranging transport.
Mohit Anand, Managing Director, Kellogg South Asia, was one of the panel members of the discussion held, noted that the company has taken various initiatives. It has protected salary and bonus of its employees. It has also extended insurance of its employees and even extended it to family. The company has also gone ahead and served around three lakh meals over the past 15 days. He even suggested that for essential items manufacturing, labourers must come back and join, and for this the State and Central governments should look into it.
The panel also noted that priority is being given to health-related infrastructure and the poor.