HMT transports 6 tractors to B'desh

PINJORE: On the verge of closure, Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) Limited despatched its second lot of six tractors for the year 2016 to neighbouring country Bangladesh - completing their order with pride.
This is a feat on the part of the management and staff members, considering that the government is still not issuing funds or salary to employees. The HMT factory in Pinjore comprises of two units - the tractor unit and machine tool unit.Employees of the tractor unit have not received their salaries for the last more than 26 months while those of the machine tool unit have not been paid for the last 17 months.
In April, the government asked employees to take VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme). HMT employees requested the government to merge HMT with other public sector undertakings (PSUs) to prevent large scale unemployment, but in vain.
Manjit Bedi, general technical manager, Tractor Business Group, HMT factory, said, "Although we are not getting budgetary support from the government we completed our order because of the commitment of the management and sincerity of our workmen. In June, we sent our first lot of eight tractors for 2016 to Nepal and completed our order. Our hard work made it possible for us to achieve the feat this time too."
Bedi said the factory has one of the best performance engines and is receiving orders from other countries. "In the near future, we will try our best to enhance export to other SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan," he said.
Over the past few months, HMT employees have been struggling to revive the company, staging protests and offering suggestions to the government, including joint venture of the machine tool unit with Indian defence and railways and a joint venture with some other firm, if the government does not want direct investment.
President, HMT workers union, Mahender Singh said, "We have expertise in tractor engines in comparison with other tractor companies in the country and no one has ever made engines like us. We have suggested a few ideas to the Government of India to revive HMT factory and if the government works on any of our suggestions, 1,400 employees will not go jobless."
Suresh Chauhan, president, Officers' union, said, "All we need is 'working capital. If the government cannot provide it they can make it a joint venture with various agencies so that jobs of HMT employees can be saved. At present, HMT infrastructure is worth more than Rs 10,000 crore and the government cannot afford to establish such infrastructure again. So they must think about it and get into joint venture with private companies or attach it with 'Happening Haryana' or 'Make in India' campaigns of the state and Indian government schemes", said Vijay Bansal, Shivalik Manch president.