Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, with an eye on Assembly polls scheduled later this year, on Friday threw a challenge at the BJP-led Centre of handing over the ailing PSU Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) in Ranchi to the state.

The statement of Soren, arrested on January 31 over alleged money laundering charges by the Enforcement Directorate after his resignation, was released on bail last month and returned as chief minister last week to head the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government was addressing a function held to mark distribution of appointment letters to 1,500 post-graduate trained (PGT) teachers at Ranchi on Friday.

“We all know the condition of HEC whose workers are fighting for their rights on the streets. HEC is known as the mother of Industries in the country and used to provide employment to 32,000 workers. It is not under the purview of the state government to revive HEC.

“However, if the Centre hands it to the state then I also promise that we will transform its fate and ensure its return to its glorious past,” announced Soren.

Employees and officials of the ailing HEC at Dhurwa in Ranchi have been agitating for several months claiming that they are yet to receive salaries for over 19 months.

The website of the PSU (under the ministry of heavy industries) claims HEC to be one of the leading suppliers of capital equipment in the country for steel, mining, railways, power, defence, space research, nuclear and strategic sectors.

“It is one of the oldest PSU (established in 1958) but has been in the financial doldrums due to the insensitivity of the Central government. HEC engineers constructed several parts of the second launching pad of ISRO which was used for Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 (solar mission). The Prime Minister took credit for the projects but did not think once about the plights of families of the engineers who have constructed its launching pads,” said HEC Majdoor Union president Bhawan Singh speaking to The Telegraph.

Soren accused the Centre of outsourcing most of the jobs to private entities and selling off government units.

“We have seen railways, ports and several industries being sold to private entities by the Centre. Even airports have been sold and there are plans to sell off industries citing it as sick. We are witnessing tribals, Dalits, poor and youths agitating on roads for jobs and other demands. But the Centre is insensitive to all such issues,” claimed Soren.

He further claimed that despite challenges of the Covid pandemic soon after getting power in 2020, the government has managed to dole out 60,000 appointment letters in different departments.

Challenging the BJP for an open debate on the achievements of the BJP-led government in Jharkhand and the works done under his tenure, Soren said: “Since we came to power the BJP has started conspiracy to destabilize our government. It was part of this conspiracy that I had to be in jail for five months and finally by high court order I got justice and am before you. However, they have again started conspiring against me. But I am not afraid of them.”