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The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee opposes privatisation of steel plant core units
The Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee has demanded that the Centre and the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) management withdraw the decision to hand over the core units of the steel plant to private contractors for operation and maintenance. Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, committee chairmen Mantri Rajasekhar, Ch. Narasinga Rao and D. Adinarayana alleged that a Union Minister Nitin Gadkari-backed private contracting company from Maharashtra has already been undertaking contract work of the Marketing Department. The contract company is not following the rules and regulations of the steel plant. Now, the government and the management have decided to give more core units to private contractors, like the company from Maharashtra, thereby indirectly conspiring to privatise the plant. The management has also issued an RoI (request of interest) inviting interested private companies to operate & maintain the Steel Plant's Sinter plant, and Raw Material Handling plant, they added. 'The leaders and workers of the Porata Committee are strongly opposing this step of handing over the steel plant core units to private contractors in a phased manner, thereby removing the existing regular and contract staff, which is a heinous act of the government. People should take note of all these things of the government, and the committee is also fighting against these decisions until the plant withdraw them,' said Mr. Narasinga Rao. Mr. Rajasekhar said in the last decade, there has been no recruitment in the plant, no increase in the salaries or promotions of the staff. He said that these are psychologically weakening the workforce forcing them to work under pressure and dissatisfaction. These were one of the reasons behind the increasing number of the staff showing interest in the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), he said. Blast Furnace-3 Speaking about the resumption of charging of Blast Furnace-3 on June 27, they said that they welcome the good step taken by the plant management to reopen Blast Furnace-3, but it is not a permanent or effective solution to revive the plant profitably or regain the glory of the plant. 'The immediate step or solution is to allot captive mines or merge the plant with Steel Authority of India Limited (SAI). Otherwise, there is no point in running the furnaces by spending thousands of crores of rupees additionally by depending on others to procure raw materials,' said Mr. Adinarayana.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- India Gazette
"Double engine sarkar is truly delivering for Andhra": Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on revival of Vizag Steel Plant
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday expressed his happiness over the revival of the Visakhapatnam Steel plant, the pride of Andhra Pradesh, which has resumed full capacity production with the restart of Blast Furnace-3 (BF-3), named 'Annapurna', symbolising abundance and prosperity. He credited the 'double engine' government for the project and stated that the steel plant has increased its capacity to produce over 20,000 tons of steel per day. Ram Mohan Naidu informed that the Vizag Steel Plant is currently working with all three blast furnaces. He asserted that the project showcases the NDA government's commitment to Vizag's industrial backbone steel plant and India's manufacturing strength. 'Vizag Steel, the pride of AP is back in action and now running at full capacity with the restart of Blast Furnace -3. With all three blast furnaces operational, the plant now produces 20,000+ tons of steel per day. This revival has been made possible through the Centre's 11,440 crore financial support, reflecting NDA strong commitment to Vizag's industrial backbone steel plant and India's manufacturing strength', Ram Mohan Naidu's 'X' post read. Further, Ram Mohan Naidu thanked the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. 'The double-engine sarkar is truly delivering for Andhra Pradesh. Grateful to Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi, CM Chandrababu Naidu and Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy for their leadership and continued support. Congratulations to all the hardworking employees of VSP for making this possible. From here on, there is no stopping, VSP will shine like a star', the 'X' post further read. On January 17, the Union Government announced that the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a package of Rs 11,440 crore for the revival of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), which operates the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is the first shore-based Integrated Steel Plant in India. It is a producer of long steel products, catering to the requirements of the construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, and automobile sectors. Steel production is a core sector of the economy and is a key indicator of a country's economic development. The revival and continued operation of Vizag Steel Plant at its full capacity will ensure efficient utilization of public resources and help in achieving the objectives of National Steel Policy, 2017. (ANI)
New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
VSP trade unions to go on 24-hour strike on May 20
VISAKHAPATNAM: The joint forum of all trade unions at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) has issued a formal strike notice to the Chairperson and Managing Director of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), proposing to go on a 24-hour strike beginning at 6 am on May 20. The notice, served under Section 22(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, was also marked to the Regional Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour, Visakhapatnam. The unions have presented a comprehensive charter of demands, pressing the management, and the Centre to withdraw the proposed strategic sale of RINL. The key demands include the allotment of captive iron ore mines to RINL, the merger of RINL with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), and ensuring raw material availability before the re- commencement of Blast Furnace-3 operations. They also demanded a revival plan that includes improving upstream and downstream facilities to run the plant at full capacity. Among the major workforce-related demands are the immediate implementation of revised wages, regular monthly payment of full salaries, restoration of House Rent Allowance (HRA) with retrospective effect, and a halt to the termination of contract workers. The unions also called for the reinstatement of welfare measures that were withdrawn by the management.
