p>Title: Regarding crisis in production in Hindustan Cables Limited due to non-placement of orders by BSNL.
(BANKURA): Production in the three units of Hindustan Cables Limited which is the only premier cable manufacturing firm in the public sector has been stopped for the last five months. All the three units – one unit is at Rupnarainpur in West Bengal, another at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and the third is in Naini in U.P. – are today closed because of non-placement of order by the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.
Sir, as you know, when you were the Minister of Heavy Industries, you took certain initiatives. There was also a joint meeting with the Minister of Information Technology, where some decision was taken and production also started. An order was placed and an advance up to 75 per cent was also given. Since March 2003, again production was stopped because the agreement which was there among the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Ministry of Information Technology and BSNL has not been implemented.
The Chief Minister of West Bengal and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh have written to the Prime Minister for immediate placement of order along with advance. I urge upon the Government to do this. In order to save more than 3000 workers and also to save the premier cable manufacturing public sector unit of our country, the Government should direct BSNL to place order with the Hindustan Cables Limited so that production could be started and the industry could be saved whereby the workers could also be saved. A number of telephone exchanges are not being commissioned because of shortage of cables. There is an urgent need to take steps to start production in the Hindustan Cables Limited by placing orders for the manufacture of cables. Thank you.
अध्यक्ष महोदय : आप दो-दो मिनट में अपनी बात पूरी करेंगे तो मैं औरों को भी मौका दूंगा।
…( व्यवधान)
अध्यक्ष महोदय : इस तरह से आप जो समय ले रहे हैं, इसके कारण नुकसान हो रहा है। आपका खुद का समय खराब हो जाएगा।