E-Paper
Miffed BICL staff issue warning
ANNOYED OVER the lapses by the Union Ministry of Textile with regard to the revival of the British India Corporation Limited (BICL), employees union leaders and the BIC Officers Association issued a threat to oppose the proposed rally of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on August 8 at Kanpur.
ANNOYED OVER the lapses by the Union Ministry of Textile with regard to the revival of the British India Corporation Limited (BICL), employees union leaders and the BIC Officers Association issued a threat to oppose the proposed rally of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on August 8 at Kanpur.
The leaders said that if the revival plan of the BICL was rejected by the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) on the next hearing on August 7, 2006, then they would register their protest with full might. However, the leaders said that in case the revival of BICL was approved by BIFR, then they would support the rally with their best possible strength, added leaders.
Talking to newspersons, employees union president Sarvesh Panday and officers association general secretary Ravindra Singh Gaur accused the Ministry of Textiles for their dubious role and said that due to continued negligence shown by it for last eight years, now the BICL was struggling for approval of its revival.
On the last hearing on June 6, 2006, the BIFR had issued show cause notice to BICL asking why it should not be closed down. Since then employees and officers of the BICL are a worried lot and are waiting eagerly for the outcome of the next hearing at BIFR to be held on August 7. Pandey blamed the MoT for the present pitiable condition of the BICL and said that ministry officials did not take a proper initiative to provide better management.
Interestingly, the BICL is under a revival plan for the last four years, but without a full time chief managing director (CMD). Present CMD VK Goel is also holding the additional charge of BICL. Likewise, the BICL is without director of finance and director technical, while, the chief vigilance officer has been posted with the BICL after a gap of about five years alleged leaders.
Panday also said that they were confused the way the BIFR was likely take to the decision about the future of BIFR, because the company was acquired by the government by introducing a Bill in the Lok Sabha. Therefore, Panday said that before taking any major decision about the BICL, it should get the approval with two third majority of the Lok Sabha.
When asked why they were opposing the proposed rally of the Sonia Gandhi, they replied that during the last parliamentary election, Prime Minster Manmohan Singh during an address at a rally had committed that after forming the government all efforts would be made to restart few closed mills.
The leaders alleged that instead of restarting any mill, the BICL is facing the threat for its closure. The other prominent leaders present were BR Bhadoria, Sajjan Bajpai, Maradul Tiwari, SK Upadhya.
