Need assurance that SAIL’s iron ore division won’t be moved out of Kolkata: West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra

Mitra additionally stated that for the reason that current dispensation got here into energy in Delhi, there was “an ominous sample of eradicating headquarters of PSUs from Kolkata which has been right here for half a century and even a century”.

Change of letters between the Centre and West Bengal authorities over the dismantling of the uncooked materials division of Steel Authority of India (SAIL) within the state is constant. West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra shot a letter on June 15 to union metal minister Dharmendra Pradhan requesting him to desist from the transfer as it might imply stripping the 2 state-based models of SAIL — Durgapur Metal Plant (DSP) and Burnpur Metal plant (BSP) — off their property and job losses for a whole bunch of contract staff.

Pradhan wrote to Mitra on the very subsequent day saying the latter’s fears have been unfounded and warranted him that the present observe of supplying the uncooked materials to the 2 models would proceed (vegetation positioned in West Bengal get iron ore from SAIL’s personal mines positioned in different states) and that “there was no plan to terminate or scale back the worker energy of the corporate.”

On Friday, Mitra wrote to Pradhan once more asking why the Union metal minister selected to not deal with the “main query of dismantling of the RMD.” Mitra wrote, “I as soon as once more urge you to cease the dismantling of RMD and hold its headquarters in Kolkata. Your affirmation that RMD won’t be dismantled and its headquarters will stay in Kolkata will reassure many anxious staff and their households within the midst of the pandemic. I await your early validation on this matter”.

Mitra additionally stated that for the reason that current dispensation got here into energy in Delhi, there was “an ominous sample of eradicating headquarters of PSUs from Kolkata which has been right here for half a century and even a century”. He cited the shifting of the headquarters of Hindustan Metal Works Building (HSCL), subsidiary workplaces of Coal India, shifting of State Bank of India’s central accounts hub and the headquarters of UBI.

Mitra additionally expressed apprehensions that the headquarters of some iconic establishments of the Union authorities is perhaps moved out of Kolkata into different cities within the nation within the close to future. These embody the headquarters of The Tea Board, Damodar Valley Company, Nationwide Insurance coverage Firm. Closure of Calcutta Inventory Change, based in 1908 was additionally being deliberate, he alleged.

SAIL’s uncooked materials division runs 15 mines together with iron ore mines, flux mines and coal mines. The eight iron ore mines below the division are unfold throughout Orissa and Jharkhand. The 2 flux mines are in Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh every and the remaining (coking) coal mines are within the ECL unfold throughout Jharkhand and West Bengal.