Post-Revival Phase A 'Do Or Die' Battle For RINL Workforce Now

Visakhapatnam: It will be a 'do or die' battle for the 12,000-odd permanent employees and 30,000 contract workers of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) for achieving a turnaround and putting it back on the right track.

Even as the Union Cabinet approved Rs14,440-crore revival package on Thursday, the clamour is growing for merger of RINL, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant as a permanent solution. On the whole, it agrees to the fact that the RINL management, the workforce and the stakeholders have to work on a mission mode to revive the lost glory of the public sector unit. While lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government for infusion of huge funds to revive the ailing plant, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said a multi-pronged strategy and all-out effort is required to retain RINL as a PSU.

The steel plant was set up after 32 fighters lost lives in police firing in the agitation spearheaded by 'Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku' movement. All the trade unions of RINL, who had launched a relentless struggle to retain it as a PSU by threatening to stall the visit of merchant bankers and auditors for valuation of the company's assets and liabilities under the aegis of “Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Samiti” while hailing the infusion of Rs10,300 crore as equity, say for steering RINL towards self-sustainability, if not immediately, requires a combination of strategic, operational, and structural reforms.

In a post on X, YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Redyy said: "The support of Rs11,440 crore for Vizag Steel Plant by Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji is commendable. This has happened only due to the untiring efforts of the about 14,000 employees and workers of VSP along with their families. The sentiments of the people of Uttarandhra are with VSP."

He said: "The @YSRCParty pushes for long term solutions to the issues faced by VSP such as allotment of a captive iron ore mine or to merge the plant with SAIL. Currently, VSP’s raw material purchases from the open market is making its steel uncompetitive."

RINL trade union leaders Mantri Rajasekhar, D Adinarayana, J Ayodharam, Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao and others described the revival package as a temporary relief and called for considering their demand for merger with SAIL, allotment of captive mines and transfer of lands under possession of RINL from the President of India to the company as a permanent solution.