BHEL EML employees are braving the lockdown without salary. Here’s why

• There are about 175 employees at BHEL EML unit and they are in deep economic distress because of non-payment of salaries, said P Karunakaran

• BHEL EML is a subsidiary of BHEL whose disinvestment was cleared in 2017 but no progress has been made on this front till now

New Delhi: At a time when uncertainties are looming large over the entire economy as it waits with abated breath for the Coronavirus lockdown to be lifted, 175 employees at state-run BHEL EML (Electrical Machines Ltd) unit in Kasaragod are having it especially tough as they have not been paid for the last 15 months.

In a letter dated March 26 accessed by PSU Watch, BHEL EML Employees Union (CITU) president P Karunakaran had sought intervention from Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Prakash Javadekar, but help is yet to come.

COVID situation has alleviated anxiety for BHEL-EML employees

Speaking to PSU Watch, Karunakaran, a former Member of Parliament from Kasaragod, said, "The situation is dire. There are about 175 employees at BHEL EML unit and they are in deep economic distress because of non-payment of salaries. I have written a letter to the Kerala Chief Minister, BHEL's Chairman and Managing Director and the minister, but we are yet to see any movement on this. Even though the Kerala government is ready to take over BHEL's share in the unit and has allowed BHEL to exit it, but we are still waiting for the process to move forward."

Though the BHEL EML employees were sometimes paid a very small amount, they have received nothing after a payment of Rs 4,000 in January this year.

Disinvestment of BHEL EML was approved in 2018, yet no action taken

The Kerala government had allowed BHEL to exit the joint venture in 2017 itself. In a regulatory filing in May 2018, BHEL had informed the stock exchanges that its Board of Directors had given a nod to the transfer of BHEL's shares to the government of Kerala. BHEL EML is a subsidiary of the Maharatna company and a joint venture it owns along with the Kerala state government. While BHEL owns 51 percent stake in the JV, Kerala holds 49 percent. The unit has been making losses for a long time now. However, despite Kerala government's willingness to take over the company, the process has been stuck for the last two years, putting the employees under financial stress.