Fri Dec 13 13:42:09 UTC 2024: **Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Limited Workers Plead for Plant Revival**
**New Delhi, December 13, 2024** – A delegation of workers from the Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Limited (VISL) in Bhadravati, Karnataka, met with Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday to urge the revival of the plant. The plant, a unit of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), was approved for closure by the Union government in October 2022, prompting ongoing worker protests.
Led by J. Jagadeesha, president of the workers’ association, the delegation presented a memorandum highlighting the plant’s significant assets, including 1,661 acres of land and an additional 150 acres allocated by the Karnataka government for mining in Sandur taluk of Ballari district. They argued that VISL has been a valuable asset to India’s steel sector and urged the Minister to consider investing in its revitalization.
Minister Kumaraswamy reportedly responded positively to the workers’ plea. He instructed SAIL officials to prepare a feasibility report and assured the delegation he would work towards strengthening the plant. The workers also met with Shivamogga Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra to further lobby for the plant’s revival. The delegation included BJP leader Mangote Rudresh. The meeting with the Minister is considered a significant step forward in the workers’ campaign to save their jobs and the plant.
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