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A112 EXCISE LAW TIMES [ Vol. 372

Thousands of migrant workers have returned home to the countryside
because of the Coronavirus lockdown.
The Minister, who also oversees road transport, highways and shipping,
said in a video chat that his Department had responded positively to the sugges-
tion that production and construction of roads and highways be resumed in are-
as that are not affected by the pandemic so the impact of lockdown is blunted.
“There are nearly 20 lakh migrant workers in Government-run camps,
many are stuck midway. We have to bring them back... We are working to re-
move bottlenecks with the help of States; but the factory owners will have to
ensure that workers are looked after, “ Gadkari said.
The sector with 6.33 crore MSMEs that together employ an estimated
11 crore people is staring at an acute financial crisis.
The Ministry is working on steps to get industries Covid ready; which
means making changes that will allow workers to resume work even as they
stick to social distancing and do not violate the conditions laid down for main-
taining hygiene.
On the financial front, the Ministry has drawn up a proposal to expand
the reach of its Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises
scheme that offers guarantee cover for the portion of credit facility not covered
by collateral.
In the partial collateral security model, micro and small industries are al-
lowed to obtain collateral security for a part of the credit facility.
The remaining part of the credit facility, up to ` 2 crore, can be covered
by the credit guarantee scheme.
“The revival plan will also look at how MSMEs can reinvent to improve
productivity. The Ministry is working out the details of how to help the produc-
tion units adapt to change. There could be consultations using IT-enabled plat-
forms to help the MSMEs evaluate their productivity and make changes that can
lead to growth and enhanced capacity,” a Government functionary said.
Gadkari expressed hope that manufacturing will pick up pace and India
will be in a position to not just export more but also cut its dependence on China.
[Source : Hindustan Times, New Delhi, dated 12-4-2020]

ED registers PMLA case against Saad, others
In fresh trouble for Tablighi Jamaat Chief Maulana Muhammad Saad
Kandhlawi, the Enforcement Directorate on 16-4-2020 registered a Money
Laundering case against him and the outfit. Sources told ET the Income Tax De-
partment has also started scrutinising the accounts of Saad and other members of
the outfit.
The ED’s action is based on the predicate offence registered by the Delhi
Police. The Central agency will soon call Maulana Saad to join the probe.
“Inquiries were under way for a while now and after scrutinising the
documents, a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was regis-
tered on 16-4-2020” said an ED official aware of the matter.
The IT Department is studying the source of the funds received by Mau-
lana Saad and the outfit.

EXCISE LAW TIMES  1st May 2020  54