The Department of Heavy Industry is in talks with defence and steel ministries for takeover of all the units of loss making Hindustan Cables.

Replying to a question on steps being taken to boost HCL, minister for heavy industries and public enterprises Mr Praful Patel said that "The matter has been taken up with the Ministry of Defence/Ordnance Factory Board for takeover off all the units of HCL by the OFB and with the Ministry of Steel/ Rashtriya Ispat Nigam for takeover of Hyderabad unit of HCL".

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Mr Patal also said the accumulated loss of HCL was INR 4,255 crore as on March 31st 2011.

Mr Patel said that "The units of HCL at Rupparainpur (West Bengal) and Hyderabad producing PIJF cables are not in production since January 2003 as there is no requirment of these cables in BSNL/MTNL.

Similarly, the unit at Naini, Allahabad producing optical fibre cable has also become obsolete due to change in the product specification.”

(Sourced from ET)