ROURKELA: The prolonged wait of 37 months for production to resume at Kuanrmunda-based defunct plant Adhunik Metaliks Ltd (AML) in Sundargarh district is likely to end soon under a new ownership.
The development assumes significance in wake of the district’s sluggish industrial economy and rising unemployment due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
Sources said after acquisition of AML by UK-based Liberty House Group owned by Sanjeev Gupta via insolvency process, maintenance works are underway at the defunct plant. President of AML Karmachari Sangh and CITU’s national vice-president Bishnu Mohanty said plant operations are likely to resume in September.
On June 18 this year, the new management signed an agreement at the Deputy Labour Commissioner’s office to employ 648 workers in the payroll of AML when it stopped operation in August, 2017 claiming bankruptcy. The priority of the Sangh is to ensure resumption of production and solve few other contentious issues., Mohanty said.
Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram said power connection to the plant has been restored and on completion of maintenance works, some production units would start functioning in September. Total normalcy is expected by October.
The MLA claimed that nearly 400 of the 648 workers have already joined. Mansid Oram, Paulus Lugun, Dipak Kujur and many other tribal workers said they are relieved after getting their jobs back. These workers were rendered jobless for long and had taken up alternative professions including farming for survival.
AML is a private sector integrated steel plant at Chadrihariharpur in Kuanrmunda block with 0.5 million tonne capacity. It has sponge and pig iron making facilities, arc and induction furnaces with secondary refining facilities, billet and bloom casters, rolling mills and 34 MW captive power plant.The AML under the ownership of Kolkata-based Adhunik Group had started production in 2004. Reaction of the new management is awaited.