Delay in production of MPVs tarnishing reputation of VFJ
| Date :13-Nov-2019 |
By Ashish Rajput :
LONG delay in production of Mine Protected Vehicles (MPVs) is tarnishing the reputation and performance of Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ). VFJ is already struggling for its existence due to separation of core and non-core group of Ordnance Factories. Surprising is the fact that even after having adequate production orders, VFJ employees are toiling hard to get adequate workload due to absence of critical components. Lingering production of defence vehicles is adversely hampering the reputation of VFJ. VFJ has bulk of supply orders of Mine Protected Vehicles from different departments of Ministry of Home Affairs including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Assam Rifles, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), State Police Departments etc.
Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Joint General Manager and Spokesperson A K Rai, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ informed that the factory has adequate workload of Mine Protected Vehicles. The factory has current target of around 72 MPVs and future target of 330 MPVs for year 2020-21. MPVs production is getting suffered due to delay in supply of some essential components.
The Factory needs to fulfill necessary parameters before procurement of components from different supplies as per the Government guidelines. Efforts are being made for early procurement of component to streamline production of MPVs and its timely supply to customers. Sources informed that VFJ was importing some critical components for Mine Protected Vehicles but following guidelines of the Government of India, factory has obligation to procure components as per Make-in-India policy.
Changing traditional supplier of components leads to long delay in supply of components and delaying manufacturing and supply of MPVs to customers. On the other hand, factory employees are toiling hard to get adequate workload and facing huge financial losses due to absence of overtime and piecework.