Into the third week of the lockdown, ITC on Thursday said it continues to operate factories with limited workforce and reduced number of hours as per approval in order to ensure supply of its essential food and hygiene products.
The challenges of manpower shortages and availability of trucks still persist said the company, which has also enhanced its efforts to provide relief to the needy amid the coronavirus pandemic by providing meals, food products and hygiene essentials to people across 17 states.
Factories have been operating with restricted number of hours and reduced workforce in line with the approvals received from the local authorities, an ITC spokesperson said. Efforts are being made to ensure that the supply chain functions smoothly across the country despite the challenges of manpower shortages and availability of trucks.
Stating that the company recognises that it is critical to ensure availability of essential food and hygiene products for consumers, the spokesperson said ITC has received approvals from a number of state authorities for the manufacturing of such essential commodities.
"Rigorous safety and hygiene protocols have been implemented in factories, which include supply of sanitisers, protected gear, masks, regular temperature checks and availability of 24x7 medical support," the spokesperson added.
On the other hand, the company said it has also stepped up its multiple initiatives to support India's fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
More From This Section
It is working closely with district administrations across 17 states in the country to provide essential food items like atta, noodles, biscuits and juices and hygiene products like soaps for people in distress.
"This initiative is currently going on in full swing with more than 1 million pieces of Savlon soaps, 3 lakh packets of YiPPee! noodles, nearly 6 lakh packets of Sunfeast biscuits and 1.5 lakh packs of B Natural fruit juices being delivered to district authorities till date," the company said.
ITC has also joined hands with three NGOs to send food supplies across India through its 'Aashirvaad Box of Hope' and 'Sunfeast Box of Happiness' initiative, it said, adding ITC Hotels and ITC factories have been providing cooked meals to migrant workers and needy people in different parts of the country.
The company has already set up a contingency fund of Rs 150 crore to provide relief to the vulnerable and most needy sections of society that have been harshly impacted by the pandemic.