SEA Appeals to MPs for Merger of RINL with SAIL and Re-Emergence of Steel PSUs
The MPs also expressed willingness to raise the broader issue of merging all steel sector PSUs with SAIL
During the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, leaders of the Visakhapatnam Steel Officers Association (SEA), Katam S S Chandra Rao and K V D Prasad, met several Members of Parliament to seek intervention for resolving the long-pending issues surrounding RINL–Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The SEA delegation met Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP from Narasaraopet, Lavu Sri Krishna Devaraya, Janata Dal (S) MP from Kolar, M Mallesh Babu, and BJP MP from Bangalore Rural, Dr. C N Manjunatha. They urged the MPs to initiate decisive steps for safeguarding the future of the steel plant and strengthening India’s public sector steel ecosystem.
The association appealed to the MPs to:
- Keep the steel sector permanently in the strategic sector
- Facilitate the merger of RINL–Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
- Ensure re-emergence and revival of the steel PSUs for the long-term stability of the industry
SEA representatives highlighted that healthy competition is essential in any sector, but the strategic nature of steel—critical for national development and infrastructure—makes public-sector presence indispensable. They noted that the steel industry generates employment for lakhs of people and plays a vital role in India’s economic growth.
The delegation also briefed the MPs on the actual developments and challenges faced by Visakhapatnam Steel Plant over the past two years, including operational, financial, and policy-related issues.
All the MPs responded positively and assured full support. They conveyed that these concerns would be brought to the notice of Union Steel Minister Kumaraswamy at the earliest.
Additionally, Hindupur MP and Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Steel and Coal, BK Parthasarathy, assured SEA that he would work proactively towards the proposal for merging Visakhapatnam Steel Plant with SAIL.
The MPs also expressed willingness to raise the broader issue of merging all steel sector PSUs with SAIL, aiming for consolidation, efficiency, and a robust public sector steel framework.
