By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: Union PNG-Steel Minster Dharmendra Pradhan was on Thursday held a high level meeting with Union Railways, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Civil Aviation and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy and discussed the future roadmap around revival of NINL keeping the interest of Odisha and the employees of NINL in focus.
“With Piyush Goyal ji, Hardeep Singh Puri ji and Chief Secretary of Odisha, discussed the future roadmap around revival of NINL keeping the interest of Odisha and the employees of NINL in focus.With involvement of all stakeholders we are moving in the positive direction,” Union Minister Pradhan said.
Few days back, Rajya Sabha BJD member Dr Amar Pattnaik had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for merger of the Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) with SAIL/RINL/NMDC.
Since all the present shareholders are from State and Cental PSUs, the NINL merger with steel PSUs should not create any problem. Hence an alternate model should be worked out so as to merge the unit with a steel PSU, said Neelachal Executives’ Association general secretary Ajit Kumar Pradhan.
After a decision of strategic disinvestment of 100% shares in NINL taken by the Central Government, major promoter MMTC and minor promoters have stopped further funding for running of the plant leading to suspension of production of all units from March during the Covid-19 period.
For no fault of the employees, they are being deprived of getting their salaries/remunerations for past five months. This has also led to restlessness among employees and strikes on several occasions.
Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), a company promoted by MMTC Ltd, Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa limited (IPICOL) and other government agencies has set up an 1.1 million ton Integrated Iron and steel plant at Kalinganagar in Jajpur in Odisha.
