Vellore explosives unit to be shut

Located on a hilltop at Christianpet on the Vellore-Chittoor National Highway, the company was the cynosure of the government in its early years when it employed nearly 1,400 workers and manufactured gelatin sticks and detonators for use by farmers. 

However, an explosion, which killed 39 workers in the factory in 2004, was the beginning of the bad times for the unit, which racked up losses amounting to Rs 150 crore. Things started going downhill and finally only 443 workers were manning the unit. They too were not given salaries for 9 months. 

According to TEL union leader R Arjunan, the company recently got voluntary retirement letters from 365 workers compulsorily, while another 68 workers were shifted to other government units. 

Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami, who promised a bailout package of Rs 50 crore, kept his promise and it helped in clearing pending dues for workers, Arjunan said. “With the amounts being disbursed on Friday, the unit has only 10 workers left, who will also soon be shown the door,” Arjunan added.