Ranchi — Left parties have launched a sharp attack on the Central government, alleging that it is deliberately pushing the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) towards closure in order to facilitate the transfer of its vast land assets.
Leaders of the CPI, CPI(M), and other Left organisations claim that a systematic effort has been underway for years to weaken the state-owned engineering giant, once regarded as the backbone of India’s heavy manufacturing sector.
CPI leader Ajay Singh said that decisions taken by the government in recent years point to a “clear and intentional pattern.”
“The sequence of decisions over the past few years shows a clear pattern. HEC has been starved of funds, production has been halted, and workers have not been paid for months. It appears to be an engineered crisis,” Singh alleged.
Left leaders argue that the Centre’s inaction on reviving HEC while prioritising land-related talks reinforces suspicion that the real objective is to hand over HEC’s land to private players under the guise of policy restructuring.
Employee unions have echoed these concerns, stating that the corporation’s workforce has been pushed to the brink due to prolonged salary delays and lack of clarity on the company’s future. Demonstrations demanding the revival of HEC continue outside the company headquarters in Ranchi.
The Left has called for a statewide agitation, urging the Jharkhand government to intervene and protect HEC and its workers. They warn that continued silence from the Centre will deepen unrest and lead to “irreversible damage to industrial infrastructure in the region.”
The Union government has not yet issued an official response to the allegations.