Minister for Heavy Industries, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey on Thursday held a marathon meeting to discuss the revival of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) in Ranchi.
HEC has been facing a tool down strike for the past couple of weeks owing to the non-payment of salaries to employees.
The officials of HEC were also invited to the meeting held in Delhi. BJP’s Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth who has been regularly raising the matter of the HEC said that the meeting lasted for many hours.
“The decision of the meeting is awaited. Our first priority is to ensure that employees get their salary. HEC is an important institution that needs to be revived,” said Seth. Seth said that earlier the ministry had given complete freedom to directors of HEC to make decisions for the benefit of the HEC.
“I really can’t say how senior officials have handled the matter and what their roadmap for the revival of HEC is. But the minister had assured me that the ministry will extend all support to HEC,” said Seth. In September Seth had met the minister and raised the problems of HEC. He said that the temporary workers who have been working for years have not been made permanent. The pay revision was pending since 2017 and a permanent CMD was also not appointed.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that the HEC management has been asked to use its own resources to solve the issues. It has been asked to urge workers to end the strike as the company will not get bank guarantee to solve the present crisis, said sources. As the HEC once happened to be Asia's largest enterprise in the field of heavy machinery manufacturing it is facing a crisis now.There are currently 1350 permanent officers-employees in the company. Besides, there are around 1700 supply workers. Workers made shocking allegations that despite HEC getting huge orders for manufacturing tools and equipment from the army and other important organizations their salary is not paid.
The HEC has currently a work order worth Rs 2000 and it has a completed work order worth Rs 1200. But the production has been halted. On average HEC has to pay Rs 11 crore per month as salary and wages to labourers.
HEC insiders said that even officials have not received their salaries.