NINL employees urge Centre to ask SAIL to run the plant

Employees of crisis-ridden Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) in Odisha on Sunday urged the Centre to immediately ask psu steel major like Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to run the plant.

Lack of working capital has led to shut down of major units like Steel Melting Shop (SMS) and blast furnace of the plant at Kalinga Nagar steel hub, Neelachal Executive Association (NEA) president Subash Chandra Sahoo said.

"Immediate steps must be taken for the resumption of normal operations at the plant and we urge the Central government to direct psu steel major like SAIL to run the plant during the transition period," Sahoo said.

The NEA president in a statement said "Severe liquidity crunch has forced the authorities to suspend production at the plant though coke oven is operating with 40 to 43 per cent capacity as it has to run continuously to prevent permanent damage."