Union Minister Intervenes as RINL Widows Allege Pension Cuts, Delay in PF-Gratuity Refunds

The plight of hundreds of widows and families of deceased employees of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) -Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has reached the Union Government, with Union Minister of State for Rural Development & Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, directing immediate intervention into complaints of delayed family pensions and non-release of Provident Fund (PF) and Gratuity deposits.

Acting on the Minister’s directions, his Officer on Special Duty (OSD), has written to the Chairman & Managing Director of RINL and the Secretary, Ministry of Steel, seeking urgent examination of the matter and appropriate action.

Widow’s Representation Prompts Minister’s Intervention

The issue came to the Minister’s notice after Smt. K. Tejaswi, wife of late Shri K. Hema Bhaskar, a former Manager at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, submitted a representation highlighting the financial hardship being faced by her family.

According to her representation, after her husband’s demise in 2019, she opted for the Employee Family Benefit Scheme (EFBS) by depositing the entire terminal settlement amount of ₹31.79 lakh with RINL to receive monthly family pension until her husband would have attained the age of 60 years.

She alleged that while the pension was paid regularly until August 2024, payments thereafter became irregular and subject to deductions, leaving nearly ₹3.5 lakh in pension arrears. She further stated that the financial uncertainty has severely affected her family’s ability to meet household expenses, education costs for her two daughters, and housing loan EMIs.

Minister Seeks Immediate Action

In the official communication dated July 22, 2026, issued on behalf of the Union Minister, RINL has been requested to:

• Examine the representation on priority.
• Regularize the monthly family pension without arbitrary deductions.
• Release all pending arrears at the earliest in accordance with the applicable rules.

The Minister’s intervention follows allegations that pension payments have been linked to production performance and that refunds of deposited PF and Gratuity amounts have been withheld for eligible beneficiaries.

Families Demand Justice

Families of deceased RINL employees have alleged that nearly 750 families have collectively deposited over ₹200 crore under the Employee Family Benefit Scheme and are awaiting payment of pension arrears as well as the refund of PF and Gratuity deposits after the deceased employee’s notional retirement age.

They have demanded:

• Immediate release of all pending family pension arrears.
• Immediate refund of deposited PF and Gratuity amounts to eligible nominees.
• Restoration of full family pension without linking payments to production.
• Humanitarian consideration for widows and dependent children who have lost the sole earning member of their family.

The affected families have appealed to the Ministry of Steel and the RINL management to resolve the issue expeditiously, noting that the company has received substantial financial support from the Central and State Governments.