ROURKELA: Members of the Rourkela Ispat Karkhana Karmachari Sangh (RIKKS) on Tuesday staged demonstration in front of the estate office of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) over various issues.
The members of RIKKS, which is affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), objected to notices issued by the RSP for demolition of extension structures attached to quarters allotted on a licence basis to retired employees. They argued that many of the quarters, despite being in a dilapidated condition, were allotted to retired employees on payment of substantial licence fees. To accommodate larger families, several authorised occupants had undertaken extensions at their own expense.
The union leaders also criticised the decision to discontinue the Retention Scheme under which retiring employees were allowed to retain their quarters for six to 18 months by paying monthly rent. The union alleged the RSP now plans to discontinue the second-quarter allotment facility, a move that could affect around 1,200 employees currently availing the scheme.
The protesters accused the management of neglecting the repair and maintenance of residential quarters built nearly six decades ago while allegedly harassing serving and retired employees.
They also alleged that workers had played a key role in helping the RSP earn a profit of around `800 crore during 2025–26, but the management was resorting to cost-cutting measures such as discontinuing the free lunch facility at the Learning and Development Training Centre.
The RIKKS further claimed that meal charges at the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital had been increased from Rs 5 to Rs 70. The leaders also expressed concern over the steep rise in fees after privatisation of RSP schools, alleging that monthly fees had been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 2,000.
Among others, senior BMS leader Himanshu Bal and RIKKS president Pradosh Panda participated in the protest.
