7 months ago
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The Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the firm entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), has floated astir 20 tenders for assorted works, including small, mean and major, earlier this month, raising apprehensions among some the regular and declaration employees astir the veracity of the statements being made by the elected representatives, including Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, that the authorities volition ne'er let privatisation of the plant.
Speaking to The Hindu connected Sunday, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee convener J. Ayodhya Ramu said, “Out of the 20 tenders, the latest, worthy ₹132 crore, pertains to the Operations & Maintenance works of Steel Melting Shop-1.“
“Currently, 690 employees — including 460 regular and 230 declaration — from 15 agencies are moving successful the SMS-1 unit. What is the aboriginal of these workers? As per latest information, the works has shown losses of ₹284 crore successful November 2025. What is the motive down it? Isn’t it an denotation of the program to privatise the alloy plant?” helium questioned.
Mr. Ramu said that by 2027, astir 3,000 regular employees would discontinue from service. At present, astir 9,400 regular employees were moving successful antithetic departments. “There has been nary recruitment for astir six years. A dharna volition beryllium staged astatine the alloy plant’s administrative gathering connected December 15 (Monday) to item these issues,” helium said.
“As our protests are not yielding immoderate results, we request to up the ante. A nationalist question is needed. We volition strive our champion to mobilise people,” Mr. Ramu added.
As per the latest tender, the scope of works includes broad method cognition and attraction of six continuous casting machines. The declaration volition screen each operational and attraction activities to execute the accumulation of unchangeable continuous alloy blooms by casting 3.6 cardinal tonnes of liquid alloy per year. The monthly accumulation volition beryllium 9,863 tonnes per time for 365 days (3.6 cardinal tonnes successful 365 days).
