Mishap may delay VSP plan

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, June 19, 2012: The ambitious expansion of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant which was already delayed by three years is likely to be further delayed by one more year at a time when almost all projects have come to the stage of commissioning.

Now, workers have given an ultimatum to the management that they cannot go ahead with the works unless there is a third party check by experts in the field.

Workers said that unless experts certify quality, readiness and safety, after physically examining the projects already commissioned and nearing on stream, they will not go ahead with the works. A discussion in this regard also took place at a meeting of trade unions with the chairman and managing director of RINL on Monday.

Most projects under the expansion are commissioned and the rest almost completed. The raw material handling (RMH) system and blast furnace are alre-ady completed and commi-ssioned. The two steel mil-ls are 70 per cent and steel melt shop 90 per cent completed. The sinter plant is also almost completed.

As per the original plan, expansion should have been completed by 2009, but it was delayed by three years and with the present ultimatum by the strong workforce, it is said that it will be further delayed by one year.

The RINL management was often criticised for implementing the expansion plan in a hurried manner which often resulted in mishaps, ignoring the safety of workforce at risk.

“We cannot ask our colleagues to work in such dangerous conditions. We want the whole system to be safe to work. There should be a third party check. We have told the management about this very clearly. The third party check and its certification will definitely take not less than a year,” recognised trade union leader Adi Narayana told this correspondent.

Having no other go, the RINL management is said to have now decided to constitute a special panel comprising German and Russian technical experts for a third party check to have risk assessment study into the projects under expansion.

On the advice of joint chief inspector of factories, pre-start up review procedure (PSRP) will also be formulated.