80000 Defence Civilian Employees working in the 41 Ordnance Factories under the Department of Defence Production is preparing for an Indefinite Strike against the Government’s move to corporatize the Ordnance Factories. This was decided by an opinion poll in all the Ordnance Factories where 99% of the employees have given the mandate for commencing the indefinite strike.
Agitation is going on in all the factories since the Finance Minister announced the drive towards Atmanirbar Bharat on May 16, 2020.
In the meantime on July 6, 2020 the Defence Ministry floated an EOI cum RFP (Tender) for the appointment of a consultant to process the Corporatization of Ordnance Factory Board.
All India Defence Employees’ Federation has lodged a complaint with the Chief Vigilance Commissioner against the gross irregularities and serious lacunas in the EOI cum RFP floated by the Government to select a consultant to process the Corporatization of the Ordnance Factories.
The complainant has pointed out many irregularities including the generosity shown about making payment to the vendor as fast as possible so that MoD and consultant will be out of the picture, irrespective of what happens to the Ordnance Factories.
The Federations (AIDEF, INDWF, and BPMS) after studying contents of the complaint registered with the CVC have now approached the President of India seeking his intervention in this matter.
“If the allegations made in the complaint to the CVC are true, then the officials of DDP have not done due diligence for use of public money and they have not adhered to Rule 21 of GFR 2017. Such officials have been entrusted with the responsibility of the Corporatization of the Ordnance Factories. We are afraid that if this proceeds in this direction it will have serious implications about the future of the Ordnance Factories and the Defence preparedness of our country”, the complaint to the President of India who happens to be the supreme Commander of the three forces, reads.
