SAIL Starts Closing Commodities Division Amid Protests

The state-owned steel company Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is reportedly implementing its decision to dissolve the raw materials division to disband the raw materials division of Kolkata, despite vigorous protests from the state administration.

The company has already filed transfer orders for as many as 100 employees at the facility, according to reports. The staff were asked to immediately move to other locations, including Bokaro, Rourkela and Bhilai. Trade unions protested strongly against this move. There are concerns that this decision will affect the supply of raw materials to the Durgapur and Bernpur steel mills. It should be noted that the workers' union has filed a claim with the court to suspend the proceedings. However, on Friday, the motion was rejected by the High Court's only panel of judges.

In addition, State Treasury Minister Amit Mitra wrote a letter to the Union government requesting that the decision be reversed, accusing him of having been involved in moving PSU headquarters from Calcutta since it took power. SAIL announced its decision to liquidate the raw materials department in Kolkata in mid-June this year, thus transferring control of the mines to the Rourkela Steel Works (RSP) in Odisha and the Bokaro Steel Works (BSP) in Jharkhand.