Shun Personal Ambitions & Reject Plum Post To Support Own Community, IOFS Officers’ Association’s Open Appeal

On one side, Trade Unions and Federations of the Ordnance Factories are at loggerheads with Modi Government against its decision to splinter 41 Ordnance Factories into 7 corporations. The generally silent IOFS officers association also, is now fighting against the Government decision. When the Government of India took decision to select CMD’s and Directors from amongst the IOFS Officers as an interim measure many officers opposed the same and appealed to the senior officers not to become party against the designs of the DDP to destroy the 41 Ordnance Factories and its employees.

However, senior officers cherishing dreams of becoming CMD’s and Directors have applied for the same and a selection process was conducted by the DDP and 7 CMD’s and 23 directors were selected by the Government.

However, the IOFS Officers Association lodged a complaint on 09-08-2021 to the Defence Minister pointing out various malpractices in the selection of the CMD’s and Directors. Some officers are telling that the officers who are not empanelled for promotion to HAG promotion because of disciplinary cases and vigilance angle etc., are also selected for the post of CMD’s and Directors and that they are going to challenge the entire selection process in the Court of Law. The CMD’s and Directors have already started visiting various Ordnance Factories and conducting meetings with the General Managers and Officers even though there are no such directions from the DDP. The General Managers are in total dilemma that whether they should listen to their respective OFB Members/Chairman OFB or these newly appointed CMD’s and Directors.

Many GM’s of the Ordnance Factories have been appointed as CMD’s and Directors of the 7 Corporations. So far, no orders have been issued by the DDP for posting even General Managers to these factories. It is understood that the CMD’s wanted their choice of person to become GMs. Even before the Ordnance Factories becoming corporation a total state chaos has been created in the Ordnance Factories. The Federations in their meeting, held the Secretary (DP) on 27-08-2021 have demanded for a copy of the Cabinet note on Corporatisation and also a copy of the KPMG report. Since the entire process of 7 corporations, their future survival etc., were decided by DDP only on the basis of the KPMG report, the Federations have demanded the copy of the report. However, the same is being denied to the Federations.

www.indianpsu.com contacted C. Srikumar, General Secretary of AIDEF and asked his views about the development in the Ordnance Factories. He reacted that so far the information available is with him is that KPMG has not done any independent work. They are preparing a report based on whatever is told to them by the DDP. Since there is no accountability towards KPMG about the survival of the 7 Corporations, they seem to be least bothered and are therefore, acting in haste. Some officers in the DDP told him that the KPMG is simply signing on dotted lines. Ultimately, the reputation of KPMG and the DDP is going to be affected since the entire process of corporatization is going to be a jugglery for which ultimately the committed and devoted workforce have to pay the price. This is evident from the fact that how the new 7 Corporations has been Registered. From the information available in the website of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, one can compare the Authorized Capital Vs. the Paid up Capital for each Corporations. The great expectations of the Companies can be seen in its Authorised Capital. The Munitions Corporations will have Rs.40500 Crores, Advance Weapons and Equipment Corporation will have Rs.15000 Crores, Yantra Corporation will have Rs.13500 Crores, Armoured Vehicle Corporation will have Rs.12500 Crores, The Optal Corporation will have Rs. 5500 Crores, The Troop Comfort Corporation will have Rs. 4000 Crores. The poorest is Glider Corporation which will have Rs. 200 Crore. The funniest part is all these 7 Corporations will have Paid up Capital only Rs.1 Lakh per Corporation. This itself will give a clear picture about the recommendations made by the KPMG and its acceptance by DDP. Therefore the Federations will continue to oppose all these ill designs of the DDP.

In the meantime the IOFS Officers Association have issued a heart touching appeal to those officers who have been appointed a CMD’s and Directors not to accept this assignment. www.indianpsu.com accessed a copy of the circular dated 28-08-2021 issued by the IOFSOA to the CMD’s and the Directors selected from amongst cadre. The relevant portion of the appeal is published here for the benefit of our viewers.

Therefore, this is not a fight against restructuring but a humble but resolute effort to make those concerned realize that we cannot be a mute-spectator when self-respect of our cadre has been subjected to systematic derision by those who know nothing about defence production. Those glorified mediocre generalists fanning out prescription to us and doling out sermons, why not they select motivated 1400 amongst them to leave their own service in national interest and to willingly accept the service conditions of 7 Public Sectors which is their own creations and deliver. Practicing hypocrisy is the easiest vocation. Let there be a benchmarking of services for different indices including corruption, efficiency etc by a third neutral agency, the truth which is otherwise known to all the citizens will come out formally.

When it comes to self-respect, it is better to suffer silently than to accept the terms and conditions of perpetrators with a sense of gratitude. Our ancient traditions have it very clear that it’s better to suffer in hell with your head held high than to accept the heaven on a platter at the cost of humiliation.

Let us assure you, respected Sir(s) and madam that no one on this earth would be able to break our spine if we are together even in our collective sufferings. Let us all be crucified together than to break the ranks and bond we share. Hence, we, your brothers and sisters in service, collectively pray to your conscience to withdraw the acceptance of offer by the mother ministry to hold the post as CMDs and functional Directors of 7 corporations and join us in our collective sufferings. Let us together pray in the words of Jesus- “Father, forgive them, for they not know what they are doing” “In your service, motherland, I commit my spirits”