GURGAON: Gurgaon’s industrial sector is counting losses after Haryana’s electricity employees called off their three-day strike on Friday evening, with industry leaders estimating that production losses in the district have exceeded Rs 20,000 crore.The shutdown disrupted manufacturing across several sectors, delayed customer orders and left workers idle during the peak festive season.Textile manufacturers, export houses, automobile-component makers, food-related businesses and other industrial units were affected by power outages that began on the night of October 21.Several establishments halted production or asked employees to stay away from work amid uncertainty over power restoration.The strike was called off following talks between the Joint Action Committee and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, along with power minister Anil Vij.The government assured employees that parallel electricity distribution licences would be revoked and private players would not be allowed to enter Haryana’s power sector. The committee said electricity supply would be restored immediately.Two industry bodies, the Gurgaon Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) and the Progressive Federation of Trade & Industry (PFTI), had written to Saini seeking urgent intervention to restore power supply and prevent further losses.In a letter dated October 23, GCCI president Vikas Jain said the outages had severely disrupted industrial and commercial activity across several parts of Gurgaon, causing production stoppages, interruptions to scheduled operations, delays in fulfilling customer orders and substantial financial losses.The chamber also warned that prolonged outages could expose industrial machinery, production processes and raw materials to damage, while jeopardising contractual commitments and delivery schedules.For businesses operating to fixed production cycles and dispatch deadlines, the disruption threatened consequences beyond the immediate loss of output.Some establishments turned to diesel generator (DG) sets to keep operations running, but GCCI said this was neither economically sustainable nor operationally feasible over an extended period.Higher diesel expenditure and the cost of captive power generation added to the financial burden, while capacity and technical limitations prevented many units from running their entire electrical load on generators continuously.The chamber urged the state government and electricity authorities to prioritise the restoration of supply to essential industrial feeders, manufacturing clusters and critical commercial areas. It also sought contingency arrangements, better coordination among officials and timely updates on restoration schedules so businesses could plan their operations.
Workers’ livelihoods at risk
PFTI, in its October 22 letter to the chief minister, said the strike had brought industrial operations to a standstill and left workers idle in several industrial areas.It warned that the shutdown had come during the peak festive season, when industries and workers depend on increased production and business activity to earn incomes, incentives and bonuses.PFTI chairman Deepak Maini said continued closure could affect the livelihoods of thousands of workers and create avoidable industrial unrest and law-and-order concerns.The federation called for the deployment of alternative technical personnel and emergency response teams, along with a dedicated control room to coordinate restoration work and communicate with industry associations and consumers.
Industry bodies flag gaps in contingency plans
Both associations expressed concern over the arrangements to maintain electricity supply during the strike. PFTI said that despite assurances about preparedness, adequate alternative arrangements did not appear to have been made.It also flagged inadequate communication, saying consumers who approached complaint centres and officials were being told that power restoration was not possible because Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) employees were on strike.GCCI similarly sought emergency coordination and a reliable mechanism to ensure uninterrupted supply during such disruptions.“The industries with sensitive manufacturing processes, critical data transmission and communication networks could suffer even from brief interruptions,” GCCI said.PFTI said it was neither supporting nor opposing privatisation as a matter of principle, but maintained that any new distribution model must have a clear policy framework, technical preparedness, accountability mechanisms and adequate safeguards for industrial and domestic consumers.It cautioned against implementing a major change without addressing concerns over the existing distribution network.The industry bodies also asked the government to consider an appropriate mechanism to assess losses suffered by affected industrial units and provide relief wherever permissible under applicable policies and law.They warned that the disruption could damage industrial productivity, employment, business confidence and Haryana’s reputation as an investment destination.
