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Working since 2009, say staff amid PM vs Rahul over Amethi ordnance factory
Post Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement in Amethi on March 3 of gifting an AK 203 rifle factory, any question about their period of posting or hours of work at the factory is met with a loaded smile.
A group of about 20 to 30 employees moves out for lunch from the main gate of the Ordnance Factory (Korwa) in Amethi at about 1pm here on Tuesday. This has been an everyday routine for many of them for years now.
But they are in a state of confusion. Post Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement in Amethi on March 3 of gifting an AK 203 rifle factory, any question about their period of posting or hours of work at the factory is met with a loaded smile.
“What and why you want to know this? I am among the first who started working here since 2009-2010. We all are surprised when somebody informed us about the PM’s announcement for a factory to produce advance AK 203 rifles. This factory began production in 2013,” said an employee in Amethi on Sunday.
Local people say that the factory, set up with an objective of producing nearly 45000 carbines every year, had started functioning by 2010.
“We understand the factory was set up by 2010 and production started in 2013, a few months before 2014 Lok Sabha elections. There have been disputes over acquisition of land for the factory and compensation is yet to be paid to 35-36 farmers whose land was acquired,” said Ramesh Singh, whose wife Sanyogita Singh is pradhan of the Korwa village where the factory is situated.
A number of women in village spoke about the PM’s announcement and said, “We do not need AK 203 rifles. We need jobs against our land. Modi claims he brought this factory. But Rahul Gandhi, who represents the area in the Lok Sabha, actually brought this factory, “ said Sheela, (50).
Another source said ,“Factory started producing pump action guns and components of tanks and bombs in 2013,” said a source.
In his public address, Modi had said the work in the ordnance factory started much later than the Congress claim and only 200 jobs were given to the people as against a promise of 1500 jobs.
Most officers in the factory either remained inaccessible or refused to answer any questions. An official press release issued by deputy director general (PR) Ordnance Factory Board, Kolkata, on Sunday, however, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated to public the Indo Russian Rifles Private Limited, a joint venture of Ordnance Factory Board (India) and Rosoboron export and Concern Kalashnikov (Russia).
The joint venture has been set up to produce 7.5 lakh AK 203 rifles to meet requirements of the armed forces and central para military forces. It has been claimed that gradually the production at the factory will be indigenous.
People familiar with the issue say the Ordnance Factory Project, Korwa, was set up with an objective of producing 45,000 carbines per year. Under the project, advanced AK 203 rifles will be manufactured.
“Most of the equipment and machines for this purpose are already available at the factory in, Korwa. With this, the factory will be able to expeditiously produce this category of rifles,” people in the know of the goings-on said.
A war of words had erupted between the Congress and the BJP over claims and counter claims on the factory with both claiming gifting it to Amethi.
A day after Prime Minister’s announcement at Amethi rally, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted,“Mr Prime Minister, I had laid the foundation of Ordinance Factory of Amethi in 2010. Small arms are being manufactured here for the past many years. You went to Amethi yesterday and spoke lies.”
Union minister for textiles Smriti Irani was quick to respond pointing out that the foundation stone of the factory had been laid in 2007 and not in 2010 as mentioned in Congress president’s tweet.
Irani had also tweeted that Rahul too had laid the foundation stone of National Petroleum Technical School, ten years after it was laid by the then union minister for petroleum Satish Sharma in Rae Bareli on February 18, 1996.
Captions
Amethi 1-5
A view of ordinance factory in Korwa village of Amethi.
Amethi 6-7
Residents of Korwa in Amethi where the ordinance factory is located.
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Ramesh Singh,husband of Korwa village head Sanyogita Singh.
(All pictures by Deepak Gupta/HT)
