Singareni Collieries Team Visits Vizag Steel Plant To Examine Possibility Of Bidding

The group of SCCL representatives visited the plant at the direction of the Telangana government.

Visakhapatnam Steel Plant ( Image Source :ABP Desam )

A delegation of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) visited Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) on Tuesday to study the feasibility of participating in the Expression of Interest (EOI) for its acquisition.

The group of SCCL representatives visited the plant at the direction of the Telangana government. 

On Tuesday, Telangana Industries Minister K T Rama Rao said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar had sent a team of officials to the VSP in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to study the possibility of bidding for Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, commonly referred to as the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

K. T. Rama Rao said that the CM has asked SCCL officials to visit the VSP and prepare a blueprint. The last date for submitting bids for VSP is April 15.

"Let the team come back. Let them submit a report because they have gone there. What I have just stated is a fact. Without a captive mine, is it feasible (sustenance of steel plant). I don't know. Let the team come back. They are the experts. Let them submit a report to the government," he said.

"A decision on whether to participate in the bidding or not would be taken later if feedback is positive. But, right now the matter is being examined," Rama Rao said.

Rama Rao also alleged that there was a conspiracy in the Central Government's refusal to set up a steel plant at Bayyaram in Telangana as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act by refusing to provide quality iron ore from the Bailadila mines in Chhattisgarh, as well as in its alleged plans of "selling off" the Visakhapatnam steel plant.

Earlier on April 2, KT Rama Rao wrote an open letter to the Union government, demanding that the Centre not privatise Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate identity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Rama Rao alleged the Narendra Modi government’s "evil plans" to sell off the VSP to corporate companies, mentioning the reasons for the steel plant’s losses, and ways in which the plant could be revived.

He said that the BRS party vehemently opposes the Union Government’s move to privatise the VSP and extends its support to steel plant workers who are opposing the disinvestment move.