Bayyaram mines: T-workers in VSP fault T-leaders' claims

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, April 23, 2013: While Telangana leaders cutting across party lines are vehemently opposing the state government’s allotment of Bayyaram mines, their brethren working in the public sector Visakhapatnam Steel Plant found fault with the threats.

“Their argument is absurd. What if Odisha also thinks on the same lines and stops supplying iron ore to VSP? Imagine if that were to happen and the lives of thousands of employees and their families are put to risk,” asked Balaji, a senior manager with the navratna company, who hails from Khammam.

There are around 200 to 300 employees from various districts of Telangana region working with VSP since its inception. Though they don’t have any registered association or forum they all gather in Sector 12 of VSP township for Bathukamma festival every year.

“Their demand to set up an integrated steel plant near Bayyaram is a genuine demand and it’s purely a technical matter depending upon on the feasibility and other aspects. But those threats to block the supply and making tall statements are only attempts to politicise the issue. Those statements are only for provoking sentiments,” said an Assistant General Manager (AGM) from Kothagudem, who wished not to mention his name due to the sensitivity of the issue. The AGM joined VSP in 1989.

Interestingly dolomite, another key raw material to produce steel is being mined and transported from Madharam mines in Khammam district since the inception of VSP. More than 90 percent of the dolomite used in VSP comes from Khammam from Telangana region. VSP also have staff quarters near Illendhu in Khammam for it’s around 230 employees.

VSP gets around 5.5 lakh tonnes of dolomite from 950 acres allotted in Khammam and the remaining necessity, 21/2 lakh tonnes from Odisha. The VSP gets another raw material lime stone from Jagaiahpeta in Krishna district. The steel plant consumes around 2.5 lakh tonnes of lime stone every year mined from 1,295 hectares in Jagaiahapeta.

“TRS is just trying to politicize the issue. The Sponge Iron India Ltd that was established in 1972 near Bayyaram and later merged in NMDC gets raw material from Kurnool and Krishna districts. What will happen to the Telangana Company if the supplies from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra districts are stopped? What will happen to its employees if the company locked up due to lack of raw material supply,” said Visakha Steel Employees Congress general secretary, Mantri Rajasekhar told this correspondent.

“VSP is getting dolomite from Telangana since many decades. I wonder where this demand has come up now,” said INTUC general secretary, Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao.