100-Hour Hunger Strike for RINL-SAIL Merger Concludes in Visakhapatnam

The 100-hour Steel Merger Deeksha, led by Steel Executives Association General Secretary K.V.D. Prasad, concluded on October 6 at noon after four days of hunger strike demanding the merger of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

The deeksha began at 8 AM on October 2 at the Steel Executives Association office at C-Bhavan in Visakhapatnam. Prasad continued the hunger strike for four days in what organisers described as a Gandhian form of protest.

The principal demand was that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Nagarnar Steel Plant and MECON be merged with SAIL, with the steel sector being accorded strategic-sector status in view of its importance to national development.

The protesters also demanded ₹3,000 crore in immediate financial assistance for construction and repairs of the Coke Oven Battery at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Until the proposed merger, they sought a ₹3,000-per-tonne subsidy on iron ore used by Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Other demands included immediate settlement of pending financial dues of serving employees, VRS employees, retirees and pensioners; restoration of HRA and GMIP; promotions with notional seniority; and another opportunity for employees who could not make the required payment under the higher pension option.

Steel Executives Federation of India (SEFI) Chairman Narendra Kumar Banchor participated on the inaugural day. On the concluding day, National Confederation of Officers Associations (NCOA) Deputy Secretary General Katam S.S. Chandra Rao offered lemon juice to Prasad, formally bringing the hunger strike to an end.

The four-day protest drew support from hundreds of serving employees, young officers, retired executives and former employees. Leaders representing different trade unions and political organisations also visited the deeksha camp and expressed solidarity with the merger demand.

Speaking at the conclusion, K.V.D. Prasad thanked the employees, union leaders, former employees and supporters who participated in the four-day programme. He appealed to political leaders across parties and trade union leaders to take up the issue with the state and central governments and press for the re-merger of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with SAIL.

NCOA representative Katam Chandra Rao said the need to strengthen public sector enterprises, particularly through the proposed merger of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with SAIL, had been discussed several times at the national level by officers’ associations including NCOA and SEFI. Resolutions supporting the demand had also been passed, he said.

Support came from former employees ranging from former Directors, Executive Directors and General Managers to employees across other levels, as well as serving employees who participated voluntarily.

Prasad also acknowledged the support extended by members of the Aganampudi Senior Citizens Association, led by Bosu Babu, Gajendra Rao and Bhaskara Raju, who participated in large numbers throughout the four-day programme.

He thanked Steel Executives Association President Vidyut Kumar Varma, Joint Secretary Muthyala Satyanarayana, Vice President Srikant Kalyan, Treasurer Lokesh and other executive members for coordinating the programme. The medical team from Visakha General Hospital was also thanked for providing medical assistance from the second day of the deeksha.

Among those who expressed solidarity were Recognition Union leaders Adinarayana, Padi Trinath Rao, KSN Rao and Mohan Babu; INTUC leaders Mantri Rajasekhar, Ramana Murthy and Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao; CITU leaders N. Ramarao, Ayodhya Ram and Ramaswamy; Corporator Gangarao; TNTUC leaders Villa Ram Mohan Kumar and Boddu Paidi Raju; Telugu Desam leaders Koganti Lenin and Deepti Lenin; former Corporator Varalakshmi; Ramesh Kumar and others.

The conclusion of the 100-hour deeksha marks another organised push for the merger of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with SAIL, with employees and officers’ organisations seeking a long-term structural solution for the steel plant rather than short-term financial intervention.