By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/JAJPUR: BJD MLA from Chrome valley Sunkinda in Odisha’s Jajpur district, Pritiranjan Ghadai on Wednesday hoped that instead of disinvestment, defunct, Nilachal Ispat Nigam Limited, located at Kalinga Nagar, will see renovation and reconstruction and employees, staffs and executives will get regular salary.
The BJD MLA Ghadai held a meeting with top officials of NINL and it was decided salary of half month will be given soon while rest half month, will be given after scrape worth Rs 6 Crore sold.
“ନୀଳାଚଳ ଇସ୍ପାତ ନିଗମର କର୍ମଚାରୀ, ଅଧା ମାସକର ଦରମା ଆଜି ପାଇବାକୁ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥା କରାଗଲା।ସ୍କ୍ରାପ୍ ବିକ୍ରିରୁ ସାଢ଼େ ୬ କୋଟି ସଂଗ୍ରହ ହେବା ପରେ,ବାକି ଅଧା ମାସକର ଦରମା ପାଇବେ।କର୍ମଚାରୀଙ୍କୁ ନିୟମିତ ଦରମା ପ୍ରଦାନ ଏବଂ ନୀଳାଚଳର ପୁନଃଋଦ୍ଧାର ପାଇଁ କମ୍ପାନୀ କର୍ତ୍ତୃପକ୍ଷଙ୍କ ସହ ଆଲୋଚନା ହୋଇଛି।,” BJD MLA Pritiranjan Gharai tweeted@PritiranjanBJD.
Few days back, meanwhile, with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Steel and PNG Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman making all out effort for disinvestment of Odisha’s Kalinga Nagar based Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, NINL Executive Association, which has been opposing the move, written a letter to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requesting him to pass a special resolution in State Assembly in line with the assembly resolution passed in the AP legislative assembly opposing disinvestment of Vishakapatnam Steel Plant.
Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex popularly known as Steel hub of Odisha, in which Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) a 1.1 Million Ton Integrated Iron & Steel Plant. Major shareholders are MMTC Ltd, Govt. of India Enterprise (49.78%), Govt. of Odisha through IPICOL & OMC (32.47%).
After the decision of strategic disinvestment of 100 % shares in NINL taken by the Central Government, Major promoter MMTC have stopped further funding for running of the plant. As a result there was a severe liquidity crunch which compelled suspension of production of Blast furnace from August 2019 and Coke oven from March 2020 during COVID-19 lockdown period due to scarcity of raw material. The plant is now in the verge of closure.. Employees legitimate salaries and other dues are pending since March2020, the situation is worsening day by day and people are in severe mental turmoil and great uncertainty brought about by the pandemic.
It may be noted that with the existing infrastructure and readiness of captive mines of 874 hectors area & 50 years of lease, as of August, 2019, NINL is capable of achieving more than 100% capacity utilization and earning a profit. It had incurred losses by procuring iron ore /raw material from outside the state market instead of using its own mine’s material and after paying interest and commission at high rate to MMTC. MMTC is working as a commission agent of NINL since its inception from 2004 onwards. It is really surprising that MMTC was not running the plant and consequently incurring losses it wanted to divest its shares.
