Move to split of Ordnance Factories into Seven Corporations - Press Release by Communist Party of India - June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021

Press Release

CPI Condemns Modi Government’s Move to split of Ordnance Factories into Seven Corporations

D. RAJA, General Secretary, Communist Party of India issued the following statement today (on June 17, 2021):

The CPI right from the beginning has been opposing the ill-designed move of the Modi government to corporatise the 220 years-old Indian Ordnance Factories consisting of 41 factories throughout the country involved in indigenously manufacturing all defence equipments required for the Armed Forces throughout the country and thereafter to privatise them. Taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic situation the Modi government took various anti-people decisions. One such decision is to corporatise the Ordnance Factories.

At least five ministers in the past including late Manohar Parrikar, former defence minister of the BJP government had given written assurances to the work force that the Ordnance Factories would not be corporatised. However, the Modi government ignoring all those agreements on June 16, 2021 took an arbitrary decision to corporatise the Ordnance Factories and split into seven entities enabling to easily sell the national asset.

Central Trade Unions are of the view that the decision has been taken by putting pressure on the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) to conclude the conciliation proceedings on June 15, 2021 and when three major trade unions who have given strike notice was not present in the conciliation meeting.

The decision of the Modi government to corporatise the Ordnance Factories will have a serious impact on the national security, defence preparedness and self-reliance of the country. Therefore, the Communist Party of India outrightly rejects and opposes the decision of the government. Communist Party of India appeals to the people of the country to oppose this anti-national decision of the government, which will jeopardise the defence of our country. Communist Party of India extends its full support to the employees of Ordnance Factories in their struggle against corporatisation and privatisation.

S/d

(Roykutty)

Office Secretary

Communist Party of India
Central Office
New Delhi
Tele: 011 23235546
e-mail: cpiofindia[at]gmail.com