Shalimar Works Limited in Howrah is facing a worsening operational and financial crisis, with shipbuilding orders reportedly declining, projects being cancelled and employee wages remaining unpaid, prompting West Bengal Transport Minister Arjun Singh to inspect the state-owned facility.
The shipyard, located along the Hooghly River on Foreshore Road, falls under the state transport department. Employees approached the minister on Wednesday seeking action to improve the facility’s condition. Singh visited the premises the following day, inspected its operations and held discussions with the management.
“Currently, no work is taking place here. The entire system was ruined by the previous government. We will use it in the future,” Singh said after the inspection, according to the report by Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata.
Employees told the minister that the shipyard had not received shipbuilding orders at the level it did in the past. They also alleged that several orders had been cancelled and that large amounts of wages remained unpaid.
Rabi Bardhan, an employee, said the authorities were no longer paying sufficient attention to the facility. “A large number of shipbuilding orders are being cancelled. Lakhs of rupees in employee dues are outstanding. We have submitted our demands to the minister. He heard everything and assured us that the situation would improve,” Bardhan said.
Singh said he decided to visit the shipyard personally after employees met him. “I thought I should first see the condition with my own eyes. I visited the factory today and will decide what needs to be done,” he said.
The minister described the facility as an asset belonging to the West Bengal government and local residents. “We should use such a large asset. In the future, we will make proper use of it,” he said, without providing details of a revival plan, proposed investments, new contracts or a timeline for restarting production.
The inspection places the future of Shalimar Works Limited within the state’s transport and industrial infrastructure responsibilities. However, the report does not specify the number or value of cancelled orders, the total wage arrears, the reasons for the decline in business or the operational capacity currently available at the shipyard.
The facility’s management did not comment on the employees’ allegations or the minister’s proposed future use of the shipyard. Further decisions are expected after the transport department reviews the condition of the premises and discusses the facility’s future with its authorities.
