AFT Mill issue hots up as Bedi firm on closure, CM against it

There seems to be no let-up in the war of attrition between the Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy over various administrative issues, the latest one being over the government-owned Anglo-French Textile Mill.

On Thursday, Narayanasamy accused Bedi of intimidating and pressuring officers of the century-old mill and giving directions to them to close it.

On her part, Bedi, in an official press release, said the territorial Labour Department would hold an enquiry into the future of the mill and enlist the views of its management, workmen and others, including the bankers who extended loans to the mill.

 

Shesaid that on the basis of the enquiry, the Labour Department would arrive at a conclusion.

The enquiry would go into the genuineness and adequacy of the reasons stated in the notice submitted by the managing director of the mill on January 21 seeking permission of the government to close the mill under provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, the release said.

The Council of Ministers on its own appointed retired IAS officer B Vijayan as a one-member committee to examine the feasibility of revival of the mill and also other loss- making government undertakings and corporations here.

"After thorough examination the one-member committee concluded that the AFT Mill should be closed down in view of its mounting liabilities," the release said adding that the Board of Directors of the mill agreed with the recommendation of the one-member committee and resolved that all the plants of the mill be closed.

(The mill is a composite one and has three units).

The Council of Ministers, however, resolved to introduce a voluntary retirement scheme for the workers instead of closure of the mill.

The Lieutenant Governor said, "The decision of the Board of Governors for closure would be appropriate in the given financial situation."

Bedi, however, had referred to the Centre in April last year the difference of opinion between the government and her on the strategy to be adopted in respect of the mill 'informing that the mill management has been asked to file a notice for closure as per the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 pending final decision of the Centre which is expected shortly'.

Earlier, addressing a meeting of the Congressmen to observe the 123rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Chief Minister said the cabinet, headed by him, had taken a decision that the mill should never be closed.

"Workers opting for the voluntary retirement scheme should be given it and at no cost should the mill be closed," he said.

The Lieutenant Governor, however, had allegedly taken a unilateral decision directing the officers to close the mill.

"The Lt Governor is also pressuring and intimidating the officers and the AFT Mill management directing them to close the undertaking of the territorial government," he said.

Narayanasamy said," The difference of opinion on the mill issue between the Lt Governor and the government has been referred to the Centre for its decision."

"Even before the Centre's decision is known the Lt Governor had taken upon herself the authority to direct the officers of the mill to go in for its closure," he said.

The managing director of AFT Mill had proposed through a notification recently under the provisions of Industrial Disputes Act 1947 that the mill be closed with effect from April 30 and cited the various reasons for the proposal for its closure.