Faridabad Administration Notifies Compulsory Rapid COVID-19 Testing for Industrial Workers in Haryana

Struggling with the COVID Pandemic situation, entrepreneurs from Faridabad have come across with another task which made them cry. District Magistrate of Faridabad has ordered compulsory intensive testing of all the industrial workers in Faridabad at the cost of the factory owner.

Factory owners already facing a financial crisis as they had to pay to workers during the entire period of lockdown, feel distressed by this new order.

Haryana based industries associations have demanded that the cost of testing be borne by the Government.

While appreciating Haryana Government for the efficient handling of Covid-19,  Faridabad IMT Industries Association (FIMTIA) said that the industries were already facing a financial crisis due to COVID pandemic and it was not fair to burden them with this additional cost of testing.

"Industries are struggling, work has suffered a lot, many of us are barely struggling to survive, several industries have shut their operations and in middle of all this, such notifications from local administration are really tough for our survival," commented a struggling garment manufacturing entrepreneur from Faridabad.

While acknowledging the crisis and it's possible implications, it is unanimously demanded that such mandatory COVID tests need to be handled by the Government authorities.

Rakesh Chabra, President, Rai Industries Associations has said that Haryana government should provide for 100% cost of COVID testing for industrial workers.

“If any worker has a positive report than the government will have to provide the ambulance and treatment facility. The area would be sanitised by the factory owner, but factory work will be allowed to function normally”, he added.

In this regard, FIMTIA has written a letter to the Haryana government and suggested that priority of compulsory rapid testing should be for Govt.  Employees in the first stage. Secondly. The industrial units employing more than 100 workers should be covered in the second phase the cost of which should be borne by Haryana Govt.

FIMTIA also suggested that Haryana Govt. could also tap Labour Welfare Fund which is contributed by factory owners to finance compulsory testing or and alternatively testing could be done through ESI hospitals as most of the industrial workers are covered under ESI.