Question : SICK CENTRAL PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS

(a) the number of Central Public Sector undertakings declared sick, referred to BIFR and closed during each of the last three years in each state;

(b) the number of employees who have been declared surplus and number out of them given VRS, PSU wise.

(c) whether number of expert committees have been constituted to review the working of sick PSUs during last three years;

(d) if so, the details of their composition, terms of reference, date of constitution, etc.;

(e) the details of their recommendations; and

(f) the action taken by the Government on these recommendations?

THE MINISTER OF STATE Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises (DR. VALLABHBHAI KATHIRIA)

(a) As on 31.12.2001, 66 sick CPSUs are registered with BIFR. Establishments of Bharat Gold Mines Ltd. (BGML), Tannery & Footwear Corporation Of India Ltd. (TAFCO), Mandya National Paper Mills Ltd. (MNPM), Bharat Process and Mechanical Engg. Ltd. (BPMEL), Weighbird (India) Ltd. (WIL), Rehabilitation Industries Corpn (RIC) and National Bicycle Corp. of India Ltd. (NBCIL), Mining & Allied Machinery Corpn. Ltd. (MAMC), Cycle Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIL) have been closed. Tangra unit of Tyre Corporation of India Ltd. (TCIL), four units of HMT and seven loss making Refractory Units (LRUs) / Fabrication Yard of Burn Standard Co. Ltd. (BSCL) have been closed. Further closure of, Indian Road Construction Corpn (IRCC) and ET&T have also been approved by the Government. Tea Trading Corpn of India (TTCI) has filed an application for liquidation.

(b) Manpower rationalization is an on-going exercise. During 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the number of employees who have opted for VRS in CPSUs were 29628, 43760 and 45625 respectively.

(c) to (f) As per the information available, an Expert Group under Shri H.C. Gandhi, former CMD of BYNL, was constituted in April, 99 to explore the possibility of revival of nine sick PSUs under Department of Heavy Industry, namely Mining & Allied Machinery Corporation Ltd. (MAMC), Tannery and Footwear Corporation of India Ltd. (TAFCO), Weighbird India Ltd. (WIL), Bharat Process & Mechanical Engineers Ltd. (BPMEL), National Bicycle Corporation of India Ltd. (NBCIL), Rehabilitation Industries Corporation Ltd. (RIC), Tangra Unit of Tyre Corporation of India Ltd. (TCIL), Bharat Opthalmic Glass Ltd. (BOGL) and National Instruments Ltd. (NIL). In case of first seven CPSUs, the Expert Group concluded that there were no reasonable prospects of revival and these CPSUs have since been closed. As for the remaining two are concerned, the BIFR have sanctioned the revival plan of NIL which is under implementation. In case of BOGL recommendation of BIFR, a quasi-judicial body, are awaited.