The latest attempt on the part of RINL’s management to initiate action against employees opposing privatisation of RINL is questionable and counterproductive

Appeal to the Union Steel Minister to direct RINL’s management to desist from adopting such a vengeful approach and, instead, implement a package of measures meant to revive RINL on a long-term basis

To

Shri H D Kumaraswamy

Union Steel Minister

Dear Shri Kumaraswamy garu,

Kindly refer to my letter of 3rd February 2025 on the need to revive RINL fully by implementing a meaningful financial package, instead of deliberately “bleeding” such a highly valuable CPSE. 

In my letter cited and in my earlier correspondence with you and the Finance Minister, I had reminded the Centre that RINL owed its inception to a public agitation in Visakhapatnam and the stellar role played at that time by this region’s legislators. Thus, anything that your Ministry does adversely in respect of RINL would hurt the sentiments of the people of north Andhra region.

I am disappointed at the cavalier attitude displayed by the officials of your Ministry in dealing with RINL’s future, trying to ignore the continuing mismanagement of the affairs of that CPSE on the part of the officials of the concerned Central Ministries, which in turn gives one the impression that the Centre’s attitude towards privatisation of RINL has not changed at all and that the Centre is determined to sell RINL for a pittance to a favoured private corporate entity.

The people of north Andhra Region feel disturbed at the latest news reports that RINL’s management, evidently under pressure from the officials of your Ministry, have started acting in a vengeful manner against those among RINL’s employees who have been opposing the privatisation of RINL (ttps://www.sakshi.com/telugu-news/andhra-pradesh/massive-layoffs-visakhapatnam-steel-plant-2388990). In my view, such an approach on the part of your Ministry is counterproductive and it speaks volumes of the way the officials of your Ministry are trying to cover up their own lapses in dealing with the revival of RINL. 

I would earnestly appeal to you to consider directing your officials and RINL’s management to desist from such a vengeful and counterproductive approach and instead, understand the root causes for the deterioration of RINL’s finances and address them frontally, in a forthright manner, by fully implementing the package of measures I had suggested to you in my letters.

Regards,

Yours sincerely,

E A S Sarma

Former Secretary to the Government of India

Visakhapatnam