Rights Of Displaced Workers At RINL Are ‘Non-Negotiable,’ Says Palla
Palla pointed to past irregularities, alleging that salaries were once fraudulently drawn in the names of nearly 2,000 fictitious workers through collusion among contractors, officials, and union leaders.
Visakhapatnam: Telugu Desam state president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao reiterated his party’s strong commitment to safeguarding Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) on Saturday. He credited Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for protecting the enterprise from renewed privatisation pressures and asserted that the rights of displaced families and local workers are “non-negotiable.”
Addressing the media at the TD office in Gajuwaka, Palla demanded that 50 per cent of jobs at the steel plant be reserved for displaced families and R-Card holders, many of whom have been working as contract employees for decades. He warned contractors that while the single-window contractor system may streamline operations, it cannot be used as a pretext to remove long-serving workers.
Palla pointed to past irregularities, alleging that salaries were once fraudulently drawn in the names of nearly 2,000 fictitious workers through collusion among contractors, officials, and union leaders. “These malpractices were exposed only after the biometric system was introduced. The coalition government acted swiftly to eliminate the bogus names,” he said.
He reaffirmed the coalition’s support for the steel plant, recalling that the TDP resisted privatisation in 1998. “In 2025 as well, we will not allow RINL to slip into private hands,” he declared.
On restructuring, he clarified that the number of contractors is being reduced from nearly 1,000 to 42—one for each department—to ease the financial burden. “Portraying this streamlining as privatisation is nothing but propaganda,” he maintained.
Appealing to contractors, Palla stressed that displaced individuals, whether skilled, semi-skilled, or unskilled, must be reinstated under the single-window system. “The RINL is not merely an industrial unit; it is an economic lifeline and an emotional anchor for the people of Visakhapatnam. Its survival is intertwined with the future of our generations,” he added.
