September 10: Troubled by the six-month long lockdown and prohibitory order, entrepreneurs of Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor have requested the government to adopt alternative measures to operate the industrial sector.

The private sector has urged the government to look for alternatives after the administration tightened the precautionary measures due to increase in the number of coronavirus cases.

After coronavirus infection was detected among the workers in the industrial corridor, the administration directed the industries to operate by creating quarantine facilities within the industry, or in the community if it is not possible within the industry.

Stating that it is not possible to create separate quarantine for each industry, the entrepreneurs have suggested for group quarantine and isolation for industrial corridor.

Subodh Gupta, senior vice president of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce, says that, around 1000-bed quarantine centre and 200-bed isolation ward should be made in Birgunj in collaboration between the government and the private sector. He further said that the risk of infection will be decreased and easy operation of the industry can be done by keeping the workers from India and other districts in industrial quarantine for certain time.

“Most of the industries are running in low capacity now. Workers have to be brought in to run the industry in full capacity. Industrial quarantine and isolation is the easiest way for this,” said Gupta, who is also a  former  president of the Association of Nepalese Rice, Oil and Pulses Industry.