In the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir-which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists-several Indian defence manufacturing units, particularly those under Munitions India Limited (MIL), have cancelled the long leaves of their employees.

This move, while not officially mandated nationwide, has been internally enforced at key facilities to ensure uninterrupted arms production and national readiness.

At the Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK) in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh-one of the largest military ammunition factories in the country-leaves exceeding two days for both officers and employees have been revoked with immediate effect. The decision, confirmed by OFK’s Public Relations Officer Avinash Shankar, was taken to meet ambitious production targets set for the fiscal year. The factory, which employs around 4,000 people, had missed its April production goals, prompting headquarters to direct the cancellation of leave to maintain sufficient workforce and supervision.

This measure is not isolated to Jabalpur. Similar directives have been implemented at other major MIL-run facilities, including the Ordnance Factory Chanda in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, and the Badmal Ordnance Factory in Balangir, Odisha, where leaves have been suspended for up to 60 days. In these factories, all forms of leave-earned, casual, or previously sanctioned-have been cancelled, and exemptions are granted only under the most compelling circumstances and with high-level approval.

The official rationale provided by factory management emphasizes the necessity to meet production targets and maintain operational urgency in the interest of national security. The heightened alert follows not only the Pahalgam attack but also an increased demand for arms both for domestic defence and export commitments. Officials in Chandrapur specifically cited pressure to fulfil global export orders as an additional driver for the leave cancellations.

Despite the widespread implementation, there is confusion about whether a central government order exists. The Department of Defence Production has clarified that no official circular has been issued to ordnance factories, suggesting that these are internal decisions made by individual Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in response to the current security scenario. Union representatives, such as those from the Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS), have echoed this uncertainty, noting that while employees report leave cancellations, no formal communication has been received from MIL headquarters.

Not all facilities have enforced these measures. For instance, the Bhandara plant in Maharashtra, known for producing high explosives like RDX and HMX, and non-MIL factories such as the Kanpur-based units and Jabalpur’s Gun Carriage Factory remain unaffected by the leave cancellations.

The backdrop to these domestic shifts is a broader escalation in India-Pakistan relations post-Pahalgam attack. The Indian government has implemented a series of diplomatic and economic actions, including shutting the Integrated Check Post at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, reducing diplomatic staff, withdrawing from the Indus Waters Treaty, and imposing a comprehensive trade ban on goods to and from Pakistan. Maritime restrictions have also been enforced, with Indian ports closed to Pakistani-flagged vessels and vice versa.

Munitions India Limited, which operates 12 major factories across the country, is responsible for supplying a wide range of munitions-including bullets, tank shells, mortar bombs, and high-explosive charges-to the Indian armed forces and export clients. The current drive to restrict employee leave underscores the defence sector’s push to maintain readiness and fulfil both national and international obligations at a time of heightened security concerns.

The cancellation of employee leave at Jabalpur and other key ordnance factories reflects a coordinated effort to accelerate defence production and ensure operational preparedness amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, even as official communication from central authorities remains ambiguous and implementation varies across the defence manufacturing network.

ET News