Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday, 6 July accused the Karnataka government of deliberately obstructing the Centre's efforts to revive HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools), alleging that the state had weaponised the Forest Department to derail a special revival package that was close to finalisation. The allegations came after the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) N. Ravindra Kumar issued a notice directing HMT to surrender 430 acres of land, valued by the officer himself at nearly ₹15,000 crore.

The Forest Notice and Its Timing

Addressing an emergency press conference in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy questioned both the timing and legality of the Forest Department's order. He pointed out that the matter was already pending before a court, making the notice — and its accompanying deadline — a direct interference with ongoing judicial proceedings. 'The matter is pending before the court. At such a sensitive stage, the state government, through the Forest Department, has issued a notice and imposed a deadline. This amounts to interference with judicial proceedings and is contrary to law,' the Minister said.

He further argued that DCF Ravindra Kumar lacked the jurisdiction to issue such a direction. 'Such an order directly interferes with ongoing judicial proceedings. Moreover, the officer has no jurisdiction to issue such a direction. HMT will challenge the order before the court,' Kumaraswamy stated. Notably, the Minister alleged the officer was barely 15 days from retirement when he issued the notice.

Revival Package on the Verge of Announcement

Kumaraswamy said he had been working to secure a special revival package for HMT — a Bengaluru-headquartered public sector enterprise that has been mired in losses for several years. He said a meeting on the proposed package was scheduled for the following week and that a decision was imminent. 'To breathe new life into HMT, I have been making efforts to convince the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister to approve a special package. Just when the package was close to being announced, the state government, with malicious intent, got such a notice issued,' he alleged.

The Minister assured HMT employees that the revival would proceed. 'Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will revive HMT. We will do it, and no one can stop us,' he said.

Allegations of Past Land Plunder

Kumaraswamy levelled serious allegations of historical land encroachment, claiming that 175 acres of HMT land had been sold under previous state governments and that multi-storeyed buildings and apartment complexes now stand on that land. 'The officer himself has valued this land at nearly ₹15,000 crore. That naturally raises the suspicion that someone has set their sights on this property,' he said. He alleged the plunder continued until he became Chief Minister in 2006, when he ordered a halt to further land sales.

'Under the government of those who promised to turn Bengaluru into Singapore, HMT land was torn apart and devoured like vultures, without the slightest restraint,' he charged, in an apparent reference to the incumbent state administration. He also alleged that other public enterprises — including NGF and Mysore Paper Mills — had similarly been wound down under the state's watch.

HMT's Industrial Legacy and Strategic Importance

The Minister traced HMT's history as one of India's most prominent public sector undertakings, with factories in Kalamassery, Kerala; Hyderabad, Telangana; Pinjore, Haryana; and other locations. He stressed that HMT continues to manufacture machinery for critical sectors including space, defence, and research, and that its machines retain significant overseas demand. 'Once among India's most prestigious and profitable industrial enterprises, HMT is today facing difficult circumstances. Yet, it continues to manufacture machinery for critical sectors,' he said.

This is not the first time HMT's revival has been attempted — the enterprise has been at the centre of restructuring discussions for over a decade, making the current package, if finalised, potentially the most consequential intervention in its recent history. The Centre's next steps and the outcome of HMT's expected legal challenge to the forest notice will determine whether the revival package can proceed on schedule.