Himachal CM Seeks Revival Of Nahan Foundary

By: Ravinder Makhaik

Shimla: Seeking to revive the fallen Nahan Foundry, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has sought union steel minister Virbhadra Singh’s intervention to revive the sick and defunct unit.

In a letter written to the union steel minister, Dhumal said that the state government with its limited resources was not in a position to maintain and strengthen the workshop being run in Nahan Foundry. As Nahan Foundry has a name in the field of iron products, its revival would be of much importance to the state.

The chief minister recalled that prior to the conversion of Nahan Foundry the products like C.I Railings, Grills, Bench Legs, Manhole Cover Sets, Soil Pipes, Pipes Fitting, Sugar-Cane Crushers, Fabrication items like Water Tanks Well Barrown, Power Ghanies, Agriculture implements (Chaff Cutter, Maize Shellers, Wheat Threshers etc. and Electric Motors were being manufactured in the Foundry.

Nahan Foundry was established at Nahan in 1875 by the Maharaja of Sirmaur State. The company took the shape of joint enterprise of the government of India after merger of Sirmaur state with the Indian union.
In the year 1952, shares held by the Maharaja were also purchased by the Government of India and it was registered as a Public Limited Company under the Company’s Act on 25.10.1952.

In September, 1964 its ownership was transferred by the Government of India to Himachal Pradesh Government.

As it was incurring heavy losses in the last so many years Nahan Foundry Limited was converted into HPPWD and IPH State Workshop (Nahan Foundry), with effect from 01.1.1998 to manufacture/fabricate items primarily for the use of Public Works and Irrigation-cum-Public Health Department of Himachal Pradesh.

At present, the workshop has become sick and very little material is being manufactured due to outdated and old machinery besides shortage of skilled staff.