Raise your voice against the Corporatisations policy of Government Sectors.

Defence worker unions oppose corporatisation of OFB, increased FDI in manufacturing

R Srinivasan, INDWF, General Secretary, said, “This decision shows complete disregard to the process of consulting with the stakeholders. What happened to the commitment made at the highest level? Also, is this the time to take such a decision that affects the national security?"

Three defence workers’ unions – affiliated to INDWF & AIDEF and BPMS – came together on Saturday to oppose Finance Minister Hon'ble Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcements of corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Defence manufacturing as part of the fourth chapter of Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Sitharaman’s announcement for self-reliance in defence production included corporatisation of OFB for improving autonomy, accountability and efficiency in ordnance suppliers and FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route to be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent.

The corporatisation of the OFB – which is an umbrella organisation for the 41 ordnance factories and their ecosystem – has been under consideration since the beginning of the second term of the Narendra Modi government. The decisions were opposed jointly by the Indian National Defence Workers’ Federation (INDWF), affiliated to Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) of the Indian National Congress,  Bhartiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS), an arm of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) affiliated to the RSS and All India Defence Employees’ Federation (AIDEF), affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) of the Communist Party of India.

Speaking to The Indian Express, R Srinivasan, INDWF general secretary, said, “This decision shows complete disregard to the process of consulting with the stakeholders. What happened to the commitment made at the highest level? Also, is this the time to take such a decision that affects the national security? The three main unions are coming together in opposing this unilateral decision by the government and will issue a joint statement tomorrow. We together represent over 80 to 85 per cent of the total 82,000 strong workforce from ordnance factories and also the employees of the base workshops.”

The unions have also criticised the announcement of ‘convergence between Defence Sector and Civil Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)’ saying it indicates “privatisation of Base Repair Depots of the Indian Air Force”. BPMS has objected to the step, saying, “Base Repair Depots play a crucial role in maintaining the hardware of the forces and many ‘trade secrets’ are being kept in the process. Opening up these important sectors to private parties is a cause of concern as there are chances of jeopardising the national interest.”

AIDEF General Secretary C Srikumar said, “This was announced in the most cowardly manner when the workers and trade union leaders are in isolation at their home due to the lockdown and it reminds us the emergency like situation. After the announcement, the issue was discussed by general secretaries of INDWF and BPMS and it was unitedly decided that we should jointly fight back against this atrocious and authoritarian decision of the government.”

Mukesh Singh, general secretary of BPMS, said, “We condemn and oppose these decisions of the government that have been taken unilaterally without consulting the federation, which was assured from time to time by all authorities including the Defence Minister. This act of the government at the time when the nation is engaged in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, not only amounts to dishonouring the commitment, but also establishes the arrogance of the administration and a derailment of the democratic process. BPMS calls upon the government to immediately roll back its decision, failing which it will launch a nationwide agitation, which will be at the risk and cost of the government. Under no circumstances shall BPMS tolerate such unilateral, unjust and bad decisions of the government.”

 

Till date PLB is under consideration for Ministry of Defence

Till date PLB is under consideration for Ministry of Defence, even others department are enjoying....

IAF gets Panagarh Hercules-ready amid high-decibel row with China

HIGHLIGHTS

• Panagarh is the second location in the country, after Hindan in Ghaziabad, to have a base for the C-130J aircraft.
• C-130J Super Hercules can carry 64 airborne troops with equipment
• Can also be used to carry six pallets or a few armoured vehicles

KOLKATA: The Indian Air Force has without any fanfare added more teeth to its capabilities in the east by commissioning Air Force Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh, about 150km northwest of Kolkata, in the middle of the stand-off with China in Doklam+ .
AFS Arjan Singh became fully operational, with its full complement of six C-130J Super Hercules strategic aircraft, in the last week of July. The Doklam stand-off with China started a month earlier.

Panagarh is the second location in the country, after Hindan in Ghaziabad, to have a base for the C-130J aircraft. Technicians and engineers from Lockheed Martin have been building hangars and other facilities for these aircraft at Panagarh for over two years. A senior IAF official in New Delhi said an Ilyushin Il-78 mid-air refueller has also been based at Panagarh to extend the endurance of Eastern Air Command (EAC)’s fighter fleet, particularly the Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs.

 

“The first of the C-130Js started arriving in India in 2011 and the first squadron (Veiled Vipers) was based at Hindan. These aircraft are considered among the most versatile in their class, capable of landing with troops and equipment at Advanced Landing Grounds with short runways close to the Line of Actual Control with China in India’s northeastern states. The Super Hercules is not a mere transport aircraft. It is a strategic asset that can deploy troops in hostile territory at extremely short notice,” another IAF officer said.

The hangars and other facilities at the bases at Hindan and Panagarh are hush-hush affairs not without reason. Entire Special Forces units with equipment bunk in air-conditioned quarters below the hangars. This enables them to mobilise within minutes and board the aircraft that are kept ready for take-off at any point of time. When not in actual operation, Special Forces personnel train both with and without the aircraft.

“Panagarh is crucial also because the Indian Army’s newly raised 17 Strike Corps is to be headquartered there. Panagarh will also have one of the two high-altitude infantry divisions (59 Division) of the Corps based there. The 17 Strike Corps is being raised keeping in mind threats from across India’s northern border. All these make AFS Arjan Singh a key strategic location. It is being kept at a state of full preparedness for ‘short and swift’ operations,” the officer added.

The IAF believes that commissioning of AFS Arjan Singh will raise eyebrows across the LAC but officers maintain that it is all part of a schedule that has nothing to do with the present situation. However, assets like Il-78 refuellers are deployed for better preparedness during contingencies. With squadrons of the Mig-21s and Mig-27s being gradually phased out, the Su-30 MKI has become the mainstay of the EAC. These air-superiority aircraft have a range of 3,000km that can be more than doubled by mid-air refuelling, thereby increasing their potency manifold and enabling them to launch strategic weapons.