Telangana government calls protesting ordnance factory workers and union leaders for talks

The meeting will be chaired by Defence Production Secretary in New Delhi on Friday.

HYDERABAD: Just one day after as many as 82,000 ordnance factory workers from 41 factories in the country, including more than 4,000 workers from the key defence manufacturing units in Telangana threatened to intensify their nation-wide strike against the move to corporatise the ordnance factory board (OFB), government on Thursday called the union leaders for a meeting on Friday. 

As per the order from the Ministry of Defence, the leaders of all the protesting worker federations — Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh, the Indian National Defence Workers Federation, and the All India Defence Employees Federation — have been asked to meet the officials.

The meeting will be chaired by Defence Production Secretary in New Delhi on Friday.  Meanwhile, several reports have surfaced the media claiming that the government will appoint a high-level committee comprising Cabinet ministers to draw a road map for turning the ordnance factories into defence public sector units (DPSUs). However, speaking to Express, the joint director public relation OFB said that the ministry has not given any formal confirmation on a high-level committee meeting to them.  

OFB chief justifies move

Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) chairman Saurabh Kumar, in a press release, reasoned that the move is aimed at providing OFB greater flexibility in day-to-day functioning and increasing autonomy in decision-making. However, the move has resonated panic among other officials. Several high officials from factory told Express that some core and strategic areas should be kept under the government.

Move creates panic among officials

Even though the OFB chairman said the move will provide greater flexibility to the board,  it has resonated panic among other officials. Several higher officials told Express that some core and strategic areas like ordnance factories, that manufacture arms and ammunition should be kept under the State

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The New Indian Express
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