On 19 September, 2023, Bhawan Singh, president, HEC Majdoor Union, started out on a train journey for a collective cause that resonated deeply with the over 100 employees, including engineers, of the struggling Ranchi-based public- sector undertaking (PSU), Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC).
Singh made a announcement on the train to Delhi, stating that they all have common purpose — to gather at Jantar Mantar Road on 21 September. They were planning to protest against the injustice they had faced.
During the protest, the protestors intend to hold up replicas of Chandrayaan-3 for the public to see, as a symbol of their invaluable contribution to India’s recent lunar exploration mission conducted by ISRO. They wish to draw attention to the fact that despite them playing a significant part in the mission, they had not received their salaries for one and a half years!
The HEC workers and engineers are proud to assert their pivotal role in constructing various critical components of ISRO’s second launch pad, crucial for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. These contributions included the construction of a 400/60 electric overhead travelling (EOT) crane, a 200/30T EOT crane, a hefty 10-ton hammerhead tower crane, an folding cum vertical repositionable platform (FCVRP), a horizontal sliding door and a versatile mobile launching pedestal.
Several members of Parliament from different political parties have expressed their support for their cause and are expected to join them in the upcoming demonstration in the capital.
