Jaya warns of massive stir if TN govt fails to revive TNEL

Chennai, Aug 28 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today warned of a massive agitation if the DMK government failed to take steps to revive the Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TNEL), a public sector undertaking in Vellore district of the state.

Charging the DMK government with failing to show interest in reviving the only public sector unit in the district, the AIADMK leader, in a statement here, urged the government to release Rs 50 crore and ensure that the public sector undertaking functioned effectively and start making profit once again.

Stating that the government should not resort to retrenchment of workers under any circumstance, Ms Jayalalithaa said if the government did not take immediate steps, conceding the demands of the employees, the AIADMK, as demanded by the trade unions, would organise a massive agitation.

She said the Assembly Public Accounts Committee, after visiting the factory in January, had recommened that the government provide a Rs 50 crore package, but the government was yet to act on it.

The Public Works Minister Duraimurugan, who hailed from Vellore district and represented Katpadi assembly constituency, where the factory is located, was also not interested to help the industry as he had stakes on lands close to the factory, she alleged.

Recently, the Minister had conducted ''Boomi pooja'' for his educational institutions, coming up close to the factory, she further alleged.

Ms Jayalalithaa said the public sector undertaking was started by late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran in 1986 with 1,000 employees.

During her regime, a sum of Rs 15.95 crore was sanctioned for its rehabilitation and since then, it was functioning as a profit making unit.

However, the industry once again became sick, but the DMK government was not showing any interest in reviving it despite various agitations by the employees' unions for the last three months, she pointed out.

Ms Jayalalithaa said as of now, there were 800 employees in the factory and the management was forcing 250 of them to seek voluntary retirement under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).

The government had also passed an order warning of retrenchment if they did not seek VRS, she alleged.

As most of the employees were in the age group of 45-years and above, it would be difficult for them to seek fresh employment, she said and condemned the government's move forcing them to seek VRS.

UNI