Members of Orunginintha Uzhiyargal Kootamaippu (United Workers Forum) met Union Ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde(Home)and Anand Sharma (Textiles) and urged them to grant a financial package of Rs 300 crore to renovate the Anglo-French Textile mill, one of the oldest in the country.
Addressing reporters on Saturday, the forum’s general secretary G Muthamizhan said that the request was made to Sushil Kumar Shinde when a delegation of forum members visited New Delhi on April 24, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Prime Minster’s Office V Narayanasamy.
Muthamizhan said that the delegation informed Narayanasamy about the plight of the workers and the deplorable state of affairs in the century-old mill.
Narayanasamy told the delegation that the file seeking financial assistance, and the proposal regarding modernisation of the mill needed to come from the UT government.
Narayanasamy, however, accompanied the delegation to Shinde to submit a memorandum seeking financial package. The delegation also met Anand Sharma and requested grant of financial aid for the ailing mill.
Muthamizhan said that the UT administration had not reopened the mill for the past several months citing funds crunch.
With the prevailing situation, the workers had not been paid their salaries for the last eight months, despite assurances given by the management. He said that the workers were hard pressed to make both ends meet.
Muthamizhan said the mill had not functioned properly after Cyclone Thane devastated Puducherry on December 30, 2011.