Dismissing perceptions that Bajaj Auto is preparing to sell 200 acre land at Akurdi near Pune, managing director Rajiv Bajaj said on Wednesday the company will use a part of its premises to build a development centre, which will be "among the best in the world."The Rs 100 crore project - being driven as an human resource development initiative - will take shape over the next two years, Bajaj said, adding the centre will offer itself as a place for upgradation of skills and abilities to not just company employees but also to the personnel of dealers as well as other associates in the country and overseas."This will be a centre of excellence for the company, and we intend to call it 'individual development centre' where the stress will be on upgradation of ability of individuals," Bajaj said.Bajaj said the company has approached the local authorities for permission to demolish about two acre of constructed space in the factory to re-develop it into the proposed development centre. "The total production space is much more, but we will need only 20 acre for the project," he said. Commenting on the view that the company is planning to sell the 200 acre land at Akurdi, Bajaj said the company does not have any intentions to sell the land, and the location will be put to use in a way that will benefit the company's main business of automotives manufacturing."We have not shut down the plant. The production of two-wheelers has been shut down, and it will not be resumed under any circumstances," Bajaj said. "By shutting down production, we have released a huge amount of space, which will be now utilised to expand other activities such as research and development, tool room, components manufacturing and commercial and exports operation," he added.The production of two-wheelers has been discontinued from September 1, and the company has been paying wages to about 1,658 workmen without making them do any work. Bajaj ruled out any possibility of another round of voluntary retirement scheme as a way out of the situation saying the workers who are still with the company have declined the earlier rounds of VRS. "We will pay the workers wages till the day of their retirement, but the production will not be resumed," Bajaj said.
