A day after Indian multinational meals merchandise firm, Britannia Industries, mentioned that every one 120-odd everlasting staff at its Taratala manufacturing unit in Kolkata have accepted the VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) provide, the West Bengal authorities on Tuesday mentioned talks of Britannia firm leaving the state had been unfounded.
“Britannia isn’t leaving West Bengal. It’s politically motivated propaganda that the meals firm is leaving the state. They (Britannia Industries) are very a lot in West Bengal and shortly their delegation will come and speak with the federal government on learn how to enhance their power right here,” former Finance Minister and present Chief Financial Advisor to the West Bengal authorities, Amit Mitra, mentioned on Tuesday.
At a press convention at state secretariat Nabanna, Mitra mentioned that he spoke with Managing Director of Britannia Industries, Varun Berry, who informed him that the corporate was “totally dedicated” to West Bengal.
“The corporate informed me that Britannia as an organization is totally dedicated to West Bengal they usually haven’t stopped manufacturing. Right this moment itself, the corporate produced biscuits price Rs 1,200 crore,” Mitra mentioned.
“Its (Britannia’s) registered workplace will keep in Kolkata. The shareholders assembly will proceed to happen in Kolkata,” he added.
Notably, Britannia’s Taratala manufacturing unit, established in 1947, was one of many oldest within the firm’s portfolio and carried historic significance as certainly one of its second-ever manufacturing models in India.
On the Taratala manufacturing unit, which ceased manufacturing in Could this yr, 122 everlasting staff and roughly 250 contractual employees labored, a lot of them have been with the manufacturing unit for over a decade.
With its Taratala manufacturing unit shut, the Britannia Industries administration provided Rs 13 lakh to staff with as much as 5 years and 11 months of remaining job tenure, Rs 18.5 lakh for workers with 6 to 10 years of remaining tenure, and Rs 22.25 lakh for these with greater than 10 years remaining.
In a latest inventory trade submitting, the corporate mentioned that every one everlasting employees at its Taratala manufacturing unit in Kolkata have availed voluntary retirement scheme (VRS). The administration has additionally began discussions with contractual employees for VRS, mentioned sources. “That is to tell you {that a} voluntary retirement scheme provided by the corporate to the employees at its manufacturing unit located at Taratala, Kolkata, West Bengal, has been accepted by all of the everlasting employees,” mentioned a inventory trade submitting from Britannia.
An official of the corporate mentioned that because of this acceptance of VRS by all of the everlasting employees of the plant, there will probably be no materials influence on the enterprise operations of the corporate.
Whereas the 120-odd everlasting employees have accepted the VRS provide, the corporate has not said what would be the destiny of the manufacturing unit after their exit.
Working for greater than seven many years, the Taratala plant is amongst Britannia’s oldest biscuit manufacturing models. Primarily based on a plot of land given to it on lease by Kolkata Port Belief (now Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Belief) greater than seven many years in the past, sources mentioned, the FMCG agency’s present lease for the 11-acre plot runs until 2048, with the corporate having renewed it in 2018.
Apart from Kolkata, the meals firm has crops in Bihar, Odisha, and Assam within the japanese area.