The Haryana government has conceded it possesses no official data on how many small and medium-scale industrial units have shut down in the state since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This admission, highlighting a significant gap in official monitoring, came during the ongoing winter session of the Haryana Assembly.
Assembly Query Exposes Data Gap
The issue was brought to light by Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA from Dabwali, Aditya Devilal. He directed a query to the Industries and Commerce Minister, seeking detailed information on the closure of medium and small-scale industrial units post-pandemic. Devilal demanded quantified records and asked about steps taken by the government to prevent such shutdowns.
Furthermore, the MLA sought specifics on any One-Time Settlement (OTS) schemes offered by various departments and agencies—including the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), electricity discoms, banks, and government-run financial institutions—to support struggling entities.
Minister's Straightforward Admission
In a straightforward response, the Industries and Commerce Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, stated that no such records are maintained. "There is no information/record available with the Directorate of MSME regarding the shutdown of medium and small-scale industrial units," the minister confirmed in the assembly.
Regarding relief measures, Minister Singh added that the government currently has no new proposal for an OTS scheme, noting that such schemes had already been offered twice in the past. This revelation is particularly notable given that Haryana is home to over 42,000 MSMEs across its industrial landscape.
Industry Stakeholders Pinpoint Key Challenges
Experts and industry leaders have long pointed to multiple factors causing unit closures or negative growth in the state. Vinod Khandelwal, the state president of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industries (HCCI), outlined three primary reasons for the downturn.
He cited a fundamental lack of business opportunities, inadequate support from state schemes that often fail to translate from paper to practice, and the privatisation of industrial clusters. Khandelwal argued that privatisation has drastically inflated capital investment requirements due to heavy land costs, creating a disruptive environment for entrepreneurs.
"Commerce and industries is an issue that cannot work without logistic support and adequate business opportunities," Khandelwal stated, summarising the sector's plight. The absence of official data on closures now raises critical questions about the government's ability to gauge the economic damage accurately and formulate effective revival policies for a sector crucial to employment and the state's economy.
