Vizag Steel Plant workers protest privatisation move
The trade unions expressed anger over a statement released by the Union ministry of steel on Friday that there was no change in the stand of the government on 100 per cent disinvestment in the RINL through the process of privatisation
Hyderabad
Hundreds of employees of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), also known as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, on Saturday took out a padayatra (foot march) protesting against the Centre’s stubborn stand on privatisation of the steel plant.
Braving the scorching sun, leaders of various trade unions, employees and workers under the banner of Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Samithi (Struggle committee to protect Vizag Steel) assembled at RINL entrance at Kurmannapalem junction and walked in a procession for about 25 km.
The yatra passed through Old Gajuwaka, Sheela Nagar, Kakaninagar, NAD Junction and Gopalapatnam before culminating at Simhachalam. Former Central Bureau of Investigation joint director V V Lakshminarayana also took part in the rally.
“For the last two years, we have been agitating against the Centre’s move to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. We shall not rest till the Centre withdraws its decision,” trade union leader Adinarayana said.
The trade unions expressed anger over a statement released by the Union ministry of steel on Friday that there was no change in the stand of the government on 100 per cent disinvestment in the RINL through the process of privatisation.
Clarifying on some media reports regarding a hold on the disinvestment process of RINL, the Union steel ministry said in a statement that there is no freeze on the disinvestment process of the RINL and it is under progress.
“Efforts are being made by the company and supported by the government to improve the performance of RINL and keep it as a going concern,” the statement said.
Earlier on Thursday, Union minister of state for steel Faggan Singh Kulaste, who visited the RINL, told reporters that the Centre had no intention of hurrying through the privatisation, but was focussing on strengthening the plant to run on its own.
Later in the day, however, the Union minister told the union leaders of the steel plant that a decision on the strategic disinvestment of RINL was not in his purview as it was a Cabinet decision.
Meanwhile, the RINL management on Saturday announced extension of date for submitting bids for Expression of Interest (EoI) in providing working capital for the steel plant or supplying raw material like coking coal and iron ore till April 20.
As per the notification issued by the RINL on March 27, the last date for submission of bids closed by 3 pm on Saturday. An official familiar with the development said as many as 22 companies took part in the bids for Expression of Interest, for which the RINL would supply steel products as per mutually agreed terms and conditions.
“Some more big companies are evincing interest in the deal and sought some more time. Hence, the date has been extended to April 20,” the official said.
The Telangana government, which announced its intention to take part in the bidding for supplying raw material to the Vizag steel plant through state-run Singareni Collieries Company Ltd or through Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation, did not submit its bid.
A team of officials from Singareni even visited the Vizag Steel Plant on Wednesday and Thursday and held discussions with the RINL management and also trade unions to study the feasibility of bidding for the raw material supply.
“But by the time of the deadline, there was no communication from the Telangana government. Maybe, it will take a call in a couple of days as the deadline has been extended till April 20,” a trade union leader said.
