Govt tells Parliament: SAIL to close down VISP at Bhadravathi in Karnataka; Congress takes a dig at Modi

Known as a symbol of industrialisation with a history of 105 years, Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISP) at Bhadravati in Karnataka will be closed down, the government told the parliament.

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) that runs VISP decided to close the unit last year. Founded in 1954, SAIL operates and owns five integrated steel plants at Bhilai, Rourkela, Durgapur, Bokaro and Burnpur (Asansol) and three special steel plants at Salem, Durgapur and Bhadravathi.

SAIL has declared VISP a loss-making unit without making investments to enhance production, alleged the employees.

Taking a dig at the Modi government, Congress leader and Secretary in-charge Communications, AICC Jairam Ramesh said, "One reason given is the plant doesn’t have a captive iron ore source in Karnataka. It’s amazing that private steel companies have mines in the state but not SAIL!"

"This is despite Bhadravati being less than 250 kms away from Ballari. In fact, a mining lease was allocated in October 2011 but the Modi Sarkar did nothing," added Ramesh.