Gurugram, Mar 31 (IANS): Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has appealed to industrialists, entrepreneurs and other businessmen in the state not to not send their employees on forced leave amid the 21-day nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus crisis.

His appeal to industrialists in Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Rewari, Yamunanagar, Ambala and Panchkula comes after thousands of migrant labourers thronged the roads in the National Capital Region to return to their native places due to no work after the lockdown.

He said that IAS officers had been appointed as Nodal Officers in each district of Haryana, before whom the industrialists and entrepreneurs could put forth their problems, which would be conveyed to the Centre.

Chautala held a meeting with representatives of various trade bodies in this regard.

He said that in view of the security needed during the lockdown, those providing industrial security in the private sector had been kept in the essential services category.

The Deputy CM said that wherever wanted, the industrialists could raise the security issue with the ESI authorities and police officials concerned would be apprised of the matter.

Warning those overcharging for different items of consumption, he said that ration meant for distribution in April would be distributed to depot holders in Haryana by April 5 and for May by April 15.

In the meeting, Finance Department Principal Secretary TVSN Prasad said that those entities with which Haryana government's contracts and agreements were ending on March 31 would continue automatically during the lockdown. The period of lockdown would be subtracted from the duration of such agreements.