Union Minister of Steel & Heavy Industries, HD Kumaraswamy, arrived in Rourkela for a two-day visit to the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). He was accompanied by his wife, Anitha Kumaraswamy, CMD-SAIL Amarendu Prakash and other officials from the Ministry of Steel.
The Minister was warmly received at the Rourkela Airport by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, MLA Durga Charan Tanti, Director In-Charge (DIC) of RSP and Bokaro Steel Plant Alok Verma, and a host of senior officials from the Government of Odisha and RSP. A ceremonial Guard of Honour was presented by the CISF, RSP unit.
Soon after, Kumaraswamy, accompanied by Oram and other dignitaries, proceeded to the plant. The visit began at the Model Room of the Learning & Development Department, where he was briefed on the entire plant’s functioning.
A key highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the State-of-the-art Caster #4 at Steel Melting Shop-2. Minister Kumaraswamy keenly observed the operations and the casting of the slab, congratulating the RSP collective on the project’s successful completion.
Addressing the collective, he affirmed the government’s commitment, stating, “The Government of India, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to providing all necessary support for the growth and development of Rourkela Steel Plant.”
Minister Jual Oram also praised the RSP collective’s efforts, assuring continued support and reminiscing about his long association with the plant. CMD-SAIL Amarendu Prakash commended the dedication and performance of the RSP workforce.
The Ministers also inspected the project sites of the Pellet Plant and Coke Oven Battery-7. The detailed plant tour concluded at Hot Strip Mill-2. At each stop, Minister Kumaraswamy was updated on the unit’s current status and future plans, underscoring the government’s focus on the plant’s modernisation and expansion.
