In protest against the alleged attempt of the Government to privatise the defence sector, the workers of different defence establishments organised a protest on Thursday. On the call given by All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF), the workers of Ordnance Factory Dehradun (OFD), Opto Electronics Factory (OlF) and Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) assembled at the entrance of ordnance factory and took out rally. The workers also burned an effigy of the privatisation and vented their anger.
Speakers blamed the Government for repeatedly hitting the interests of the workers. They said that the Government harmed the defence factories by listing 139 products in the noncore category which is a conspiracy to close the defence factories. The workers claimed that the listing of these products in noncore sector has put up a question mark on livelihood of the defence workers. The speakers also castigated the government for inviting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in defence sector and providing license to 222 private companies to manufacture arms and other equipments in the country.
The workers alleged that the government is planning to add more products in the noncore category which will result in decrease in production of ordnance factories and their eventual closure. The government has given licences to four companies to manufacture small arms under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode which clearly highlights the government’s intention of opening the gates of defence sector for privatisation.