The Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has made a demand that Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) should construct all five Fleet Support Vessels (FSVs) at its own facility. This comes after the central government awarded HSL a project worth ₹20,000 crore to build these vessels. CITU’s state secretary, Narasinga Rao, has alleged that HSL handed over the construction of two FSVs to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on a nomination basis due to political pressure, despite HSL having the necessary infrastructure to handle the entire project.

The FSVs are part of a series of fleet tankers planned to be built by HSL for the Indian Navy, with the first ship expected to be delivered within four years from the signing of the contract, and subsequent ships at 10–12 months intervals. The project completion timeline is set for 8 years.

CITU’s demand emphasizes the importance of utilizing HSL’s capabilities and infrastructure, including a natural yard and dry docks, which have been instrumental in building over 200 vessels of various categories over the past 82 years. The union is urging the central government to ensure that all five FSVs are built at HSL’s facility to safeguard the company’s interests and the employment of its skilled workers.