Employees of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), now working with various Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), have called for retention of their status as Central government employees until retirement. They urged the issuance of a gazette notification to formalise their continued status.
The OFB was dissolved in October 2021, leading to the reassignment of approximately 70,000 employees to seven DPSUs under a deemed deputation arrangement. Initially set for two years, the arrangement was extended by one additional year, ending on September 30, 2024. “The government has not yet provided clear guidance on the future service conditions for these employees after the deemed deputation period concludes.”, a release said.
The employees have outlined a two-phase program to advocate for their demands. The first phase includes notifying the head of establishment on August 1, followed by wearing demand badges and submitting a memorandum to the Union Defence Minister on August 6. If there is no progress or response by August 31, the association will move to the second phase, where all members will approach the Defence Minister’s office in September to demand the publication of a gazette notification.
The employees argued that those recruited until September 30, 2021, should continue as Central government employees until retirement. They cited the precedent set by Prasar Bharati, where employees remained on deemed deputation until retirement through a gazette notification.
Published - July 29, 2024 07:59 pm IST
