KATHMANDU, June 23: The Hetauda Cement Industry, which was closed for about three months, has resumed production from today. Production was halted for two weeks due to maintenance of the industrial furnace as well as some equipment.

Naveen Kumar Karna, deputy general manager of the industry, said that cement production by the industry could not be carried out because the employees protested for not getting paid the lump sum amount for their gratuity and medical treatment expenses after retirement. 

He said that the regular production and packing work has been carried out since today after the strike was suspended by the now retired employees.

Basant Kumar Pandey, general manager of the industry, said that since the industry has been repeatedly calling for and supplying about 4,500 metric tons of coal through tenders, the production is now going on regularly. According to him, a few months ago, due to the economic crisis, it was difficult to purchase coal, so production had to be stopped several times.

Since its establishment until a few years ago, 29 employees at various levels of the industry have retired. According to the rules, the industry owes them approximately Rs 170.5 million in gratuities and medical expenses. However, due to financial difficulties, the industry has been unable to pay these amounts, said the head of accounts, Hareram Koirala.

Pandey, the general manager of the industry, said that a plan has been charted out to regularize cement production by bringing the industry into operation with a new process. "As the amount to be paid to employees who have taken retirement is currently not available in the industry, the delegation including the newly appointed chairman and members of the House of Representatives, Deepak Bahadur Singh and Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, have informed the Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies about the financial crisis in the industry," he said, “We will solve the problem."

General Manager Pandey said that the Ministry of Industry has sent the necessary documents to the Ministry of Finance for the funds provided by the government to the cement industry.

Established in 1976 at Hetauda Municipality-9, Lamsure, the factory started commercial production in 1991, at that time, the government provided an amount of Rs 1.05 billion for the construction of the industry.

According to industry administration, cement has been commercially produced and supplied to various cities including Kathmandu since 11th December 1986.

The previous cement production capacity of the industry was 18,000 bags per day, but now only 10,000 bags are being produced. In the industry, about 200 people are getting direct employment in administration, accounting, technicians, limestone mining and manual laborers.

According to the management of the industry, there are 150,000 sacks of cement stock in the industry.