Ludhiana, Sept. 4 -- Around 10,000 small and medium industrial units in 72 mixed land use (MLU) localities, where residential, commercial and certain industrial activities coexist, face uncertainty as the policy permitting their operation expires on September 30. Industry leaders are seeking an extension, saying the units cannot be relocated without suitable industrial land and any disruption could affect lakhs of workers and the city's larger cycling and sewing-machine industries.

The units manufacture essential components for larger factories, particularly those in Ludhiana's cycling and sewing-machine industries.

Industry leaders said the small factory owners lacked the financial capacity to shift to new industrial areas without gove...