Ludhiana Industries Demand Total Security Overhaul Amid Labour Fears and Robbery Surge
Industrial leaders in Ludhiana are sounding the alarm over a dual crisis of looming labour shortages and a sharp spike in targeted robberies, pushing them to demand a comprehensive security overhaul. They warn that the city's vital migrant workforce is now living in a state of constant fear, which could severely impact the region's economic backbone.
Industry Associations Call for 100% CCTV Surveillance
Representing thousands of manufacturing units across the city, industry associations have issued a strong call for 100% CCTV surveillance across all industrial zones and key focal points. This demand follows a series of brazen thefts and violent snatchings that have left workers and business owners deeply unsettled.
Predatory Patterns Targeting Pay Cycles
Industry representatives have identified a particularly disturbing trend in these criminal activities. Criminals are strategically timing their strikes to coincide with the monthly and mid-month pay cycles, when migrant labourers typically carry cash for salaries or advances.
"Incidents spike between the 7th and 10th, and again between the 22nd and 25th," noted one industry body representative, highlighting how criminals are exploiting these predictable financial patterns.
Gurmeet Singh Kular, president of the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisations (Fico), shared a harrowing account that illustrates this targeting. He described an employee who had hidden his earnings in his socks, only to be surrounded and robbed by miscreants who knew exactly where to look for the cash.
Demands for 'Safe City' Integration and Permanent Police Presence
While many factories already maintain private security cameras, industrialists argue that crime continues to flourish in the blind spots between industrial units. They are now actively lobbying the government for several key security enhancements:
- Integration of all industrial areas (Phases I through VIII) into the government's Safe City initiative
- Establishment of permanent police stations within every industrial phase to ensure rapid response capabilities
- Intensified night patrolling in labour-dense pockets including Giaspura, Dhandari, and Sherpur
Economic Stakes: Beyond Policing to Production Threats
The security crisis has evolved beyond a mere policing issue to become a significant economic concern. Industrialists caution that if the safety of migrant workers—who constitute the city's primary labor force—is not guaranteed, workers will likely flee to safer regions, potentially crippling production across Ludhiana's manufacturing sector.
"If the police are visible, there is a sense of fear among criminals," emphasized Kular. "Without that presence, the absence of law emboldens them, especially during late-night shifts when workers are most vulnerable."
Formal Submission of Security Requirements
A delegation of industry leaders, including representatives from the United Cycle Parts and Manufacturers Association and the Plywood Manufacturers Association, recently met with Assistant Commissioner of Police Rupinder Singh. During this meeting, they submitted a formal list of security requirements aimed at addressing the growing concerns about worker safety and industrial security in Ludhiana.
The industrial community's unified stance reflects their recognition that the city's economic future depends on creating a secure environment that protects both workers and businesses from the escalating threat of targeted criminal activities.
