Visakhapatnam:The management of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) has suspended two officials and transferred seven others following the June 8 blast at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant that claimed nine lives and left five persons injured.
According to sources in RINL, senior HR managers Seshagiri Rao and Rajeswara Rao were suspended over the handling of arrangements for transporting the body of one of the deceased workers, Gold Mahar, to his native village near the West Bengal–Bihar border.
Sources said the officials had explored the possibility of transporting the body by air, including through private and commercial airlines, but alternative arrangements were eventually made to send it by ambulance from Visakhapatnam to the victim’s native place.
The sources alleged that the management was dissatisfied with the decision and subsequently ordered the suspension of the two officials.
RINL has also transferred seven officials in connection with the aftermath of the blast.
According to the transfer orders, Ruchira Gupta was shifted from Research and Development to Sports; M.M. Rao from HR to the Coke Oven and Coke Chemical Plant; R. Bhanu from Plant HR to SMS-1; D. Radhika from DGM-HR to DGM-HR Plant; U. Varaprasad from DGM Estates to DGM-HR Industrial Relations; Babu Nayak from DGM Health to DGM Public Health; and Rakesh Saman from DGM Horticulture to DGM Water Supply.
Meanwhile, production at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), severely affected by the major accident that claimed nine lives and injured five others, is gradually returning to normal levels.
The Steel Melting Shop-1 (SMS-1), where the accident occurred, resumed operations on Wednesday after remaining shut for nearly two-and-a-half days. Officials said all three blast furnaces are now operating at full capacity, including Blast Furnace-3, which had been undergoing maintenance.
According to plant officials, SMS-1 produced 10 heats on Wednesday, 11 heats on Thursday, and another 11 heats during the morning shift on Friday. One heat represents 150 tonnes of molten steel. Under normal peak production conditions, the shop produces around 50 heats per day.
Officials stated that the steel plant’s daily output reaches about 19,000 tonnes during peak operations. The plant has an annual production capacity of 7.5 million tonnes.
To boost employees’ morale following the tragedy, VSP Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) M.N.V.S. Prabhakar has been visiting various departments and interacting with personnel, ranging from senior managers to shop-floor workers. “The CMD is personally visiting every department and motivating employees. At the same time, he has made it clear that negligence will not be tolerated,” a senior official stated.
Regular shop-floor meetings are being conducted to encourage workers and restore confidence. In a move aimed at strengthening management efficiency, seven officials have been transferred and assigned to different departments.
While this is so, trade union leaders are claiming that many employees are continuing to be under stress and working under pressure. “The management is pushing workers to increase production and achieve targets without ensuring the supply of quality raw materials and adequate safety measures,” alleged senior CITU leader P. Ayodhya Ramu.
In this regard, he said they had organised a major dharna within the steel plant premises on Friday morning demanding improved safety standards and working conditions, drawing significant participation from employees and workers.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
