RINL Finally Releases ₹19 Crore to 43 Widows Under Employee Family Benefit Scheme
RINL employees and their representatives are seeking similar urgency in resolving other pending financial and service-related issues
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) has released approximately ₹19 crore to 43 widows under the Employee Family Benefit Scheme of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, bringing major relief to families who had been waiting for their PF and gratuity dues for nearly six months.
The beneficiaries had reached the retirement age applicable under the scheme between February and July 2026. RINL was required to refund around ₹19 crore towards the PF and gratuity amounts deposited with the management following the premature death of their respective spouses.
Under the Employee Family Benefit Scheme, when an employee dies prematurely, the PF and gratuity amounts calculated as on the date of death are deposited with the plant management. The deceased employee’s family receives a monthly pension equivalent to the Basic Pay plus Dearness Allowance (DA) drawn by the employee at the time of death until the date on which the employee would have attained retirement age. The deposited PF and gratuity amounts are then refunded to the family.
The scheme currently covers approximately 750 families, with more than ₹200 crore deposited with RINL Management. Around ₹4 crore is disbursed every month as pension to beneficiaries.
Six-Month Wait Ends
The 43 beneficiaries had reportedly faced severe financial hardship as they received neither the pension nor the PF and gratuity refund after reaching the prescribed retirement age.
The issue was repeatedly raised with RINL Management and subsequently received wider attention after IndiaPSU.com highlighted the difficulties faced by the affected families.
The matter was pursued by Katam SS Chandra Rao, former President of the Steel Executives Association and Deputy Secretary General of the National Confederation of Officers’ Associations (NCOA), who brought it to the attention of M. Sree Bharat, MP from Visakhapatnam.
Sree Bharat raised the issue with Union Minister for Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy during the current Parliament session. The matter was also taken up with Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, who wrote to the Ministry of Steel and RINL Management seeking intervention.
According to Katam SS Chandra Rao, pensioners have been receiving percentage-based pension since September 2024, while Production Linked Incentive pension has been paid since November 2025. However, the pension of the affected widows remained pending for around four-and-a-half months.
₹19 Crore Released in First Phase
Following the collective efforts and intervention by the concerned authorities, RINL Management and the Ministry of Steel released approximately ₹19 crore to the 43 widows in the first phase.
Welcoming the development, Katam SS Chandra Rao expressed gratitude to IndiaPSU.com, M. Sree Bharat and Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar for their intervention.
He said the release has provided significant relief to the affected families and urged the Visakhapatnam MP to continue pursuing other long-pending employee issues.
Demand to Clear Other RINL Dues
Katam SS Chandra Rao has urged the Union Ministry of Steel and RINL Management to take immediate steps to:
- Clear outstanding full wages and arrears of employees.
- Release pending VRS packages and leave encashment dues for VRS employees and natural retirees.
- Grant long-pending promotions to officers, which he said have remained stalled for nearly six years.
The release of ₹19 crore to 43 widows has brought much-needed relief to the affected families. RINL employees and their representatives, however, are seeking similar urgency in resolving other pending financial and service-related issues.
For the RINL “Steel Family”, the payment marks an important step towards addressing long-pending dues and restoring financial security to families that have faced months of uncertainty.
