Revival of Pinjore HMT unit sought

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

People of the Pinjore area of Panchkula district, under the aegis of the Shivalik Vikas Manch, has again sent a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the revival of the tractor unit of the HMT, Pinjore.

In his representation, manch president Vijay Bansal said there were about 550 machines worth crores of rupees which were lying idle since the closure of the unit in 2016. “Besides, spare parts of the tractors, manufactured by the Pinjore unit worth Rs 15 crore are also lying unutilised,” he said.

He said the sophisticated machines could be utilised to provide spare parts and ancillary inputs to other manufacturing units, especially neighbouring industrial Baddi-Nalagarh belt.

The representation said the Shivalik area was a backward industrial area, which needed large-scale industry like the HMT. The huge infrastructure there can be utilised for providing jobs to youths under the government’s “Skill India” initiative, he said.

Meanwhile, the manch demanded utilisation of about Rs 230 crore funds from the sale of vacant land at the HMT Complex. The HMT Headquarters can utilise these fund for the pending dues of workers, who took VRS, he said.