Press Trust of India
New Delhi, Feb 20: Country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Saturday suspended operations at its two plants in Gurgaon and Manesar as component supplies have been hit by the agitation of Jats demanding job reservation. “Operations have been suspended at both the Gurgaon and Manesar plants from second shift onwards today (Saturday) after supplies were hit by the agitation,” a Maruti Suzuki India spokesperson said.
Asked when operations could resume, the spokesperson said, “We don’t know when we will restart. It will depend on the overall situation and resumption of component supplies.” The two plants put together roll out some 5,000 units of vehicles a day. Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, however, said its plant in Manesar is functioning as usual and has not been hit by the agitation so far. The plant has a capacity to roll out 16 lakh units annually.
Haryana remained on the boil Saturday as the Jat stir unleashed fresh incidents of violence and arson in which a railway station, a police station and some buildings were set ablaze even as the Army had to use choppers to reach parts of the blocked Rohtak district. The Army was called in Friday in nine districts of Haryana and curfew was imposed in two, along with shoot-at-sight orders, after one person died and 25 were injured during the Jat stir for quota which turned violent, with the mob indulging in widespread arson. Later in a statement, Maruti Suzuki India said owing to the agitation in Rohtak and nearby areas, supplies of certain components have been disrupted. “The company is making efforts to arrange the components from other sources. Once the supply of components is restored, normal operations will resume,” it added. As a consequence of the supply disruption, the company had to temporarily suspend manufacturing of cars at its facilities in Manesar and Gurgaon starting Saturday, MSI said.