Visakhapatnam:The Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) also known as Vizag Steel Plant (VSP) achieved its highest-ever single-day hot metal production on December 14, touching 21,012 metric tonnes.
TD State president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao described the achievement as a significant milestone, noting that the plant had exceeded its installed daily capacity for the first time, signalling a clear operational turnaround. He said the record performance dispelled pessimism about the plant’s future and underscored the need to assess VSP’s prospects based on facts rather than speculation.
Mr. Palla said VSP has been averaging around 19,450 tonnes of hot metal per day in December, amounting to nearly 92 per cent capacity utilisation. Improved availability of raw materials, disciplined furnace operations and better management practices have contributed to the improved performance, he added.
He said the NDA coalition government has extended strong support to revive the steel plant, recalling the Telugu Desam Party’s role in preventing its privatisation in 1998 and asserting that a similar commitment continues in 2025. Allegations of “backdoor privatisation,” he said, were baseless, explaining that contract rationalisation was aimed at reducing financial stress.
According to him, over ₹14,000 crore has been mobilised to stabilise VSP, including ₹11,440 crore from the Centre and ₹2,600 crore from the State, ensuring uninterrupted supplies of raw materials, power and water. He also refuted claims that hot metal was being wasted, clarifying that only slag, a natural by-product, was removed, and blamed the plant’s financial distress on the previous government’s policies.
Adivasi Leaders Protest Loss of 20,000 Jobs
Visakhapatnam: Adivasi leaders on Wednesday intensified their demand for stronger constitutional safeguards and administrative recognition for tribal communities, alleging that the absence of a dedicated recruitment law had resulted in the loss of nearly 20,000 jobs over the past five years. Addressing a meeting with Polavaram MLA Chirri Balaraju at Barinkalapadu village in Buttayigudem mandal, leaders of the Adivasi Satyagraha Yatra urged the government to include the Polavaram region in the newly formed Polavaram district and name the district after Karam Tammanna Dora. Adivasi Satyagraha Yatra leader and Andhra Pradesh Adivasi JAC Alluri district chairman Rama Rao Dora called for the immediate enactment of a Scheduled Areas Employment Recruitment Act in accordance with Fifth Schedule provisions under Article 244(1) of the Constitution. He reminded the government of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s earlier assurances to provide job reservations for local Adivasis in agency areas and to create a separate Adivasi district comprising Polavaram submergence mandals. The leaders demanded the cancellation of non-tribal teacher appointments made through the Mega DSC and insisted that these posts be filled exclusively by local tribal candidates. Expressing concern over the Supreme Court’s striking down of G.O. No. 3, they said the ruling, coupled with inadequate legal defence by both Telugu States, had weakened constitutional protections for Adivasis. They warned that failure to enact the promised recruitment law before the next DSC would amount to another historical injustice. The meeting was attended by Rama Rao Dora, Kovvasi Srinivasa Rao and several district-level Adivasi JAC representatives.
Lecturer suspended for Jesus talk in classroom in Tirupati
Nellore:Tension erupted at Sri Venkateswara Government Polytechnic College after allegations that English contract lecturer G.V. Madhavi spoke about Jesus Christ during classroom teaching, sparking claims of religious propagation on campus.
Students reportedly recorded the lecture and shared the video on social media, prompting protests by Hindu organisations. Following this, the college management suspended the lecturer and ordered an internal inquiry.
Students claimed the incident was not isolated and said religious preaching during class hours affected regular lessons. Earlier, on November 24, over 25 students from CHST and EC-II courses had submitted a complaint to the Principal over inadequate syllabus coverage.
The controversy escalated with allegations that a senior official arranged a bus on December 8 to take about 200 students to Tirupati West Church. Sanatana Dharma Parirakshana Samithi president Cheenepalli Kiran Kumar led protests, demanding dismissal of the lecturer and action against the official.
RINL gets new interim chief as leadership vacuum continues
Visakhapatnam:The ministry of steel has appointed Manish Raj Gupta, director (Technical, Projects & Raw Materials) at the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), as the interim chairman and managing director of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). His appointment will come into effect from January 1, 2026, and will remain valid for one year or until a permanent CMD is named. The Visakhapatnam-based public sector steel major has been without a full-time CMD since the retirement of Atul Bhatt in November 2024, leading to prolonged administrative uncertainty. Although the Public Enterprises Selection Board had shortlisted S. Sakhtamani of FACT for the post in September 2024, the appointment has been delayed due to pending clearance from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Over the past year, RINL has seen a succession of interim chiefs, beginning with A.K. Bagchi, followed by Ajit Kumar Saxena of MOIL, and now Mr. Gupta, underscoring continuing instability at the top amid mounting financial stress. RINL has defaulted on bank repayments, leading to a downgrade of its credit rating to ‘C’. The PSU has also faced difficulties in meeting statutory obligations, including salaries, provident fund contributions and retirement benefits, triggering concern among employees. While Mr. Gupta’s appointment is expected to provide temporary administrative continuity, uncertainty over long-term leadership at RINL continues to remain a key challenge.
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