SAIL may quit Jharkhand, warns Paswan

The Union steel, chemical and fertilizer minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, has warned that he would taken up the issue of the indefinite economic blockade at Gua mines in Jharkhand with the Prime Minister.

The economic blockade disrupted supply of iron ore even today.

The president of the contract labourers union, Rajesh Koda, who was also younger brother of chief minister Madhu Koda, told the striking workers at Gua that talks on the future of contract labourers were held with SAIL officials in Kolkata but had failed.

The striking workers and their union president thereafter announced that the economic blockade would now also cover the Kiriburu, Meghataburu, Chiria and Bolani mines.

The union leader threatened to throw out SAIL from Jharkhand as it was working against the interest of workers.

While workers till date had not suspended routine mining operations, supply of iron ore to SAIL plants in Burnpur and Durgapur had been disrupted.

Around 690 supply workers were involved in production of iron ore and were working with over a dozen departments which deal with production of iron ore.

The striking union had put a demand for absorption on contract workers as confirmed SAIL employees.

The Union steel minister had told the media on Sunday at Jamua in Giridih, "The chief minister's brother wants to shut down SAIL in the state. I have no problem if the so-called people want such a thing to happen. We have options to set shop in other states but such a move would put those dependent on Sail in trouble and if Sail left Jharkhand, 20,000 families will be directly affected."

Paswan said that he would write to the chief minister of Jharkhand but would also talk to the Prime Minister and ask him to intervene and find a solution.

Referring to the Chiria iron ore mines, Paswan said he was not opposed to the state government providing iron ore mines to private sector steel plants but since SAIL was one of the biggest players in this field, it should get priority.

The Jharkhand government must allocate at least three-fourth of all iron ore mines to SAIL as the company had proposed expansion of its operations in Jharkhand.

Giving details of the proposed expansion plans of SAIL in Jharkhand, the steel minister said Rs 10,000 crore would be invested in the Bokaro Steel plant and its capacity would be increased to 12 million tons.

On reopening of the Sindri and Barauni fertilizer factories, the minister said both the plants would become gas-based and for this, a committee was examining ways to re-open both these units soon.

The ministry had prepared a plan to invest Rs 28,000 crore to start up the closed fertilizer factories operational.

Regarding on-going health camps at different locations launched by SAIL, Paswan said that since the steel company was now a profit-making unit and had earned profit of Rs 15,000 crore in last three years, it would be spending two per cent of its profits on welfare activities.

SAIL would soon organize a camp for physically challenged persons, the

Union steel minister said at Jamua in Giridih district at a health camp organised by SAIL under its corporate social responsibility scheme.

Addressing a large crowd at Jamua, the Union minister said that at present, the Indian steel sector was doing very well with the Tatas buying Corus.