PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee president A V Subramanian on Sunday demanded that the administration and management of the Swadeshee - Bharathee Textile Mills Ltd should take all efforts to initiate steps to run the mills, which had suspended production till August 17, citing that it could not procure raw materials.
Subramanian, in a statement, said the mills, which once flourished, had come to this stage because of alleged corruption and mismanagement of affairs of the mills.
He said that after the two mills were brought under the Pondicherry Textile Corporation from the NTC, the Congress regime ensured that the workers got the salary on the 10th of every month. But presently, even as the government was not able to pay the salary because of financial crisis, about 200 people were appointed through the ‘backdoor’ in the mills, he alleged.
He said the former Congress CM V Vaithilingam had enhanced the allowances of the mill workers to help them. But, the government headed by N Rangasamy had put on hold the enhanced allowances. As many as 90 workers, who had put in 42 years of service, were yet to get their gratuity after their retirement, he added.
State DMK convenor Dr M A S Subramanian said that the AFT chairman, appointed by the ruling All-India NR Congress, had closed down the mill and later re-opened only the “C” unit with the aim of winning the Lok Sabha elections. “The AINRC’s tactics paid off and it won the elections. However, later, no efforts were made to run the AFT Mills. Presently, the two other mills were also closed, citing failure to procure raw materials,” he said.