ER Sheikh assumes charge as first DG of Ordnance Directorate

Senior official ER Sheikh on Thursday assumed charge as the first director general of the Ordnance Directorate, the newly-created entity to replace the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).

An Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS) officer of the 1984 batch, Sheikh served in various ordnance factories and is credited for setting up a modern production line for the manufacture of small arms and ammunition at Varangaon.

''E R Sheikh assumed charge as first Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate (Co-ordination and Services). It is the successor organisation of the OFB,'' the defence ministry said in a statement.

The OFB will stand dissolved with effect from Friday and its assets, employees and management are being transferred to seven newly-set up defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).

In a major reform initiative, the Union Cabinet on June 16 approved a long-pending proposal to restructure the over-200-year-old OFB that operates 41 ammunition and military equipment production facilities into seven state-owned corporate entities to improve its accountability, efficiency and competitiveness.

In an order dated September 24, the defence ministry said: ''Government of India has decided to transfer, with effect from October 1, the management, control, operations and maintenance of these 41 production units and identified non-production units to seven government companies (wholly owned by the government of India).'' PTI MPB RC