Pending arsenal orders to be cleared within a month of normalcy: OFB chief

In a Q&A, Hari Mohan of the Ordnance Factory Board says 85% of the operations in arms-making units can be organised while maintaining social distancing

The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) stepped up operations to come up with santisers, PPE, masks and others equipment in record time to fight Covid-19. However, arsenal production has been suspended, creating a backlog of orders for the armed forces. In an exclusive conversation with Avishek Rakshit, OFB chairman Hari Mohan discusses his experience with Covid-19, the new normal arising out of the pandemic and plans to clear the backlog. Edited excerpts.

Have you been operational during the lockdown period?

We were ordered to work with 50 per cent workforce March 19 onwards and were made to close down from March 23. As