SATISH HANDA

It is a bad period for blanket industry at Panipat since after March 2020 with severe set back to entire industry in the country which did not spared Panipat  blanket industry popular for manufacturing Polar and Mink blankets in the country due to KOVID-19, followed by farmers agitation since over past three months adversely affected both industry entrepreneurs when all production units were closed down during lock down and the workers lost jobs left for their native states in search of alternative work.

Polar blankets manufactured with polyster yarn instead of cotton or wool at Panipat are in much demand due to cheap prices ranging between Rs 70 and 80 each usually used as shawl or a bed sheet during winter season. Similarly Mink blankets manufactured at Panipat are available in price ranging between Rs 300 to 400 each are used during peak winter season. Such types of blankets were being imported from China till the year 2015, later the entrepreneurs at Panipat started manufacturing locally. Most of the manufacturing units producing Polar blankets are lying closed since past one year from one reason or the other. Similarly, nearly 80% units manufacturing Mink blankets at Panipat have turned sick. However, entrepreneurs at Panipat producing blankets adversely affected the business of such blankets manufacturers in China. Panipat blanket manufacturers told that wholesale buyers from adjoining countries Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh as well as from Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha states having huge demand of blankets manufactured in Panipat failed to visit for their procurements in past about a year, even most of the advance orders placed on Panipat manufacturers were cancelled and many customers even failed to lift ordered material from transport companies.

The president of Polar Blanket Manufacturers Association Jagdish Jain told that the transport services have been resumed but the winter season is already over. He strongly condemned over constantly rising prices of polyster yarn used in the manufacture of blankets since past sometime as such the sale of blankets have been adversely affected due to higher cost and most of the orders have been cancelled. Jain said that economic condition of  blanket manufacturing units at Panipat is worsening day by day. He said, there are nearly 100 units manufacturing nearly 10 lakh kilogram blankets daily providing employment to large number of worker in the state including migrant labourers from other states having strength of nearly 300 workers in each unit, but as a result of  disturbed environments since past about a year the manufacturing units are incurring  losses worth over Rs 2 crore every day in the absence of production as large number of manufacturing units have been closed as a result nearly 30000 workers have become jobless.