“We are forced to build inventory as we believe that a factory should run at least eight hours a day; otherwise staff working with us for years will be rendered jobless. Banks are not lending money easily and high interest rates have made borrowing unviable. Interest rates, especially for small-scale units, should be reduced to seven per cent. Fluctuating steel rates have allowed confusion to creep in,” the letter jointly signed by five PCSIA office-bearers says.

The other major threat to the MIDC is the mushrooming of residential and commercial buildings on land reserved for industry, the letter said.

The letter goes on to address other grievances - small-scale industries have been affected a lot due to rising organised crime in the industrial area. So, police stations and police force for this area should be increased.

“Due to electricity cuts for which the Maharashtra State Electricity Board does not even give schedules to industries, factories are forced to stop production for around 20 hours a week, but the wages to workers cannot be stopped. Expensive tools and cutters break due to unscheduled power cuts,” it adds.

Commenting on the situation prevailing in the Pimpri MIDC area, Vinod Nanekar, owner of a small scale unit, said, “ Today, sales tax officers landed up at my factory and asked me to show sales tax receipts. I have not received payments for the material I supplied my client in January this year and have been bearing the expenses of my staff for the past 10 months. How can I afford to pay sales tax if I have no income?”

... contd.