Former employees of Garware Nylons, Pimpri, who have embarked upon their dream project of setting up the country's first ever "common people's factory," will have to wait a little longer.

The 210 former employees of the company who had won a bid in a public auction earlier in February to take possession of nine acres of land belonging to the company's closed unit in Ahmednagar, have not been able to collect the required deposit amount of Rs 4.5 crore yet.

The Supreme Court had issued orders to deposit the amount in 15 days. With the deadline lapsing on September 24, and the workers unable to raise the requisite amount, they are seeking an extension upto to October 15. Dominic Lobo, representative of workers and president of the Common People's Front, said, "It was too short a notice to raise the amount."

Of the total of Rs 6.01 crore, the workers had initially submitted Rs 1.05 crore. They were to deposit Rs 4.5 crore according to a Supreme Court order. However, the employees are now seeking an extension till October 20 due to funds crunch. Lobo said that the promised funds from different quarters did not come in. "There were many people who promised but in actual we did not get the funds.'' The company had closed its units in Ahmednagar, Pimpri and Sarola on August 28, 1996 and the workers had come together to form their own factory by pitching in some amount, said Lobo. The workers had earlier sold their belongings, mortgaged gold and houses to deposit a whopping Rs 1.5 crore in 15 days. Help came in only through a few philanthropic individuals, said Lobo. The workers managed only Rs one crore. "Some of them are even trying to sell their agricultural lands but it is not possible in this period of 'Pitra Pandharavada.' So we need more time,'' said Pravin Dhole, another worker.