• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Our Bureau

`The workforce, which was at one point more than 4,000, had been reduced to 2,000 under VRS. The Union Industries Ministry had also not cleared wage revision, which was due since 1997.'

VISAKHAPATNAM, March 5

THE employees of the public sector Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels (BHPV) Ltd have accused the Centre of "deliberately and systematically'' starving the unit of funds, work orders and budgetary support while encouraging private companies such as L&T.

The allegation was voiced by the leaders of the BHPV National Employees' Union at a press meet here on Wednesday.

Mr S. Jyotiswara Rao, President of the union, said the BHPV unit was started here in 1971 with a capital of Rs 19 crore and since then it had paid Rs 500 crore to the Union Government in the form of dividends or taxes and had been performing well. The workforce, which was at one point more than 4,000, had been reduced to 2,000 under VRS. Despite this, the Union Heavy Industries Minister was seeking a further reduction in the staff.

He said the Union Industries Ministry had also not cleared wage revision, which was due since 1997.

To bring to public attention their plight and the policies of the Government, the BHPV employees had staged a demonstration last month in New Delhi and sought the support of the members of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh, cutting across party lines. "But unfortunately Mr B.K Patil, the Industries Minister, is completely unmoved,'' he said.

Referring to the performance of the unit, he said BHPV was known for its quality, sophisticated equipment and its supplies to Defence, oil, fertiliser and space sectors. He said BHPV was vying with L&T and other private companies for supplying space simulation chambers for a ISRO project, Bangalore, and the "Government, we have learnt, is leaning towards the L&T.'' He appealed to ISRO and the Government to award the Rs 100-crore work to BHPV and revive its fortunes.

The unit had submitted bids for several works worth Rs 313 crore including the Rs 100-crore ISRO project.

Training their guns on L&T, Mr Y. Sankara Rao, General Secretary of the union, and Mr Ch. Narasinga Rao, the Honorary President, said the State Government too "was showing inexplicable solicitude towards L&T''.

The Visakhapatnam industrial water supply scheme, intended to bring 5 tmc feet of Godavari waters to the city for its industries and citizens, has been handed over to L&T by the State Government and as a consequence the water bills of the public sector units here including the steel plant would go up steeply, to the benefit of the private company.

"The steel plant which is presently spending Rs 6 crore per annum on water would have to expend Rs 40 crore as the water rates had been steeply enhanced. The people here too would have to pay dearly,'' they said and urged the State Government to reconsider the decision and hand over the scheme to the State Irrigation Department.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication

Stories in this Section
HLL special dividend cut by Re 1

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line