Telangana seeks Centre’s support for HMT employees

Nageswara Rao told the Union Minister that HMT, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, was the backbone of the country’s industrial development for over six decades.

Khammam: Telangana has urged Union Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendranath Pandey to extend support to the employees of the HMT Ltd in Hyderabad.

A delegation of TRS MPs, MLAs and HMT workers led by TRS floor leader in Lok Sabha Nama Nageswara Rao called on the Union Minister in New Delhi on Wednesday evening and apprised him of the problems being faced by HMT, the oldest machine tools manufacturing company in Hyderabad.

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Nageswara Rao told the Union Minister that HMT, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, was the backbone of the country’s industrial development for over six decades. It was in the forefront of manufacturing goods for defence, railways, automobiles and aerospace sectors and played a significant role in the rapid growth of the industrial sector in the country.

HMT, which has a rich history in the manufacturing sector, was now facing severe financial difficulties in meeting its intended business objectives, the delegation said. Employees, workers and retired employees were also facing financial difficulties, the MP explained.

Nageswara Rao urged Pandey to merge the Hyderabad unit with HMT Ltd, Bengaluru to overcome its financial losses. With the merger process, the retirement age of employees would go up from 58 to 60 years. He also asked that wages be paid to them as per 2007 PRC.

MPs Banda Prakash, BB Patil, MLA KP Vivekananda and workers from HMT Bengaluru, Pinjur, Ajmer and Hyderabad units R Mahender, Y Balaraju, C Satyanarayana Goud and D Srisailam were among those who met the Union Minister.

Nageswara Rao also met Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary Girdhar Aramane and submitted a request for release of Rs 620 crore Central Road Funds (CRF) funds sanctioned to Telangana for the year 2021.

The construction details of the CRF roads proposed for the year 2021 were submitted in March this year. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had already been informed about the same, he explained.

If CRF funds are released in advance, it would help in calling for work tenders during the monsoon season so that the works can start soon, the MP told Aramane, a release from the MP’s office here on Thursday said.