VISAKHAPATNAM: Former Union Secretary EAS Sarma shot off a letter to Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy, expressing serious concern over what he termed the continued weakening of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) and Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) by the Union and State governments.
In his letter, EAS alleged that policy decisions have favoured private companies at the expense of public sector undertakings. He cited the allocation of a captive iron ore mine and a 2.9-km waterfront near Nakkapalle to ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel for establishing a steel plant and private port — located just a few kilometres from RINL. He warned that such developments pose a serious threat to the future of RINL and VPT. He criticised the recently announced Rs 11,440 crore financial package for RINL, arguing that over Rs 30,000 crore is required to clear its debts and restore its viability. He reiterated his earlier suggestion for the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to take over RINL as a sustainable solution.
He claimed that the Centre’s refusal to allocate captive iron ore blocks to RINL, while granting multiple blocks to private companies, signals a clear bias towards private interests.
Criticising the State government, he pointed to the allocation of the DL Puram waterfront to ArcelorMittal without a transparent process. He called the move a violation of public trust and warned of potential environmental harm.