West Bengal Transport Minister Arjun Singh inspected Shalimar Works Limited in Howrah on Thursday after employees raised concerns about cancelled shipbuilding orders, unpaid wages and the deteriorating condition of the state-owned facility.
The shipyard, located along the Ganga on Foreshore Road, falls under the state transport department. Employees had approached the minister on Wednesday seeking action to improve the facility’s infrastructure and restore its operations. Singh visited the site the following day, inspected the premises and held discussions with the management.
After the visit, the minister said the facility currently had no work and claimed that its systems had been damaged under the previous government. He said the state would use the facility in the future but did not announce a specific order, investment amount, operating plan or implementation timeline.
“This factory is under the transport department. Currently, no work is taking place. The entire system was ruined by the previous government. We will use it in the future,” Singh said, according to the report.
He described Shalimar Works as an asset for the West Bengal government and local residents. “This factory is a resource for the West Bengal government and local people. We should use such a large asset. We will make proper use of it in the future,” he said.
Employees said the facility had received fewer shipbuilding orders in recent years and that several orders had been cancelled. They also alleged that workers were owed lakhs of rupees in outstanding payments. Ravi Bardhan, an employee, said the authorities were no longer paying adequate attention to the shipyard and that workers had placed their demands before the minister.
“Many shipbuilding orders are being cancelled. Lakhs of rupees are pending for the employees. We have told the minister about our demands. He heard everything and assured us that the situation would improve,” Bardhan said.
The report places the dispute within a wider question over the use of publicly owned industrial infrastructure along Kolkata’s riverfront. Shalimar Works is not only a workplace for its employees but also a state-controlled facility linked to transport and shipbuilding activity. Its decline affects the use of an existing industrial asset, the continuity of skilled employment and the government’s ability to maintain operational capacity within its transport portfolio.
However, the inspection has so far produced an assurance rather than a formal revival programme. The report does not specify the number of pending workers’ salaries, the value of cancelled orders, the facility’s current workforce, its production capacity or the financial condition of the company. Authorities also did not provide details of prospective shipbuilding contracts or infrastructure upgrades.
The facility’s management did not comment on the issues raised in the report. The next steps will depend on whether the transport department converts the minister’s stated intention into a documented plan covering work orders, employee dues, infrastructure improvements and the future operating model for Shalimar Works.
