Former Baroda Rayon staff yet to get dues

Until a few years ago, the Baroda Rayon Corporation (BRC) founded in the early sixties by the erstwhile royal Gaekwad family, was considered to be one of the best employers in the region. But this elevated status of the group has now vanished. The dreams of many ex-employees of BRC have turned sour. The company, which has been declared a sick unit under BIFR, is struggling to pay past dues.

Take the case of 65-year old C K Parmar, whose young son died as he could not arrange money for treatment.

"I retired from BRC in 2001 after serving for 39 years, but my gratuity, provident fund and salary dues totalling Rs 5 lakh, were not cleared by the company. My son needed to be operated upon for a heart ailment two years ago. I approached the company officials many times, but they refused to help. I could not arrange for the money, consequently, my son died," Parmar told Business Standard.

This is the condition of hundreds of other BRC workers. "Many of them have retired. Some have also died, but their dues are yet to be cleared," said Parmar.

The case of A D Sukhadwala, who worked as a textile winder at BRC for 34 years, is similar. "I am 63 years old at present, and despite many efforts, have not been able to find a proper job for myself after retiring from BRC in 2002. Since there is no other proper source of income, my family is facing acute monetary crisis. The mounting debts have only made matters worse," Sukhadwala said.

"The higher-ups in the BRC management lived a lavish life at the company's expense, and also indulged in several irregularities, which resulted in the financial problems for the company. It would not be wrong to say that thousands of BRC workers are paying for the follies of the management," he alleged.

"BRC has been declared a sick unit by the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). We hope the Centre intervenes in the matter and takes steps so that the workers can be paid their dues at the earliest. This would not change the lives of the thousands of workers, but would at least enable them to live the last few years in a better way," said Sukhadwala.

BRC officials, however, refused to comment on the issue. "We are doing our best to settle workers' dues. However, we are not in a position to set any deadlines. Other than this, I am not in a position to say anything without the approval of higher-ups," BRC vice-president Lalit Jaywant said when contacted by Business Standard.