December 3, 2015
Nadimul Haque raises the issue of non-payment of arrears to ISP workers
Sir, today I would like to draw the attention of the house to the issue of non-payment of arrears to the integrated steel plant employees from 1997 to 2005.
Sir, the issue of non-payment of arrears has been pending for the last 18 years with SAIL and has affected approximately 18,000 employees of the ISP, many of whom have retired or died. Moreover it is pertinent to mention that the payment of arrears to the employees due to the imposition of the new contingency on various and numerous occasions.
That being said, earlier payment of arrears was conditional on the issue of renew of Chidiya lease in favour of SAIL. Subsequently the payment of arrears was made contingent to the profits of the ISP. However Sir, when the condition relating to the profits of the ISP was crystalised in 2009-10 and subsequently in 2010-11, then the payment of arrears was again made contingent subject of the integrated commissioning of a new plant at Burnpur.
Since the commissioning of the integrated plant has been successfully completed Sir, hence it would be in the interest of justice that the ISP employees are given the payment for the arrears as decided in the 369th meeting of the SAIL board held on 29-03-2011.
In this regard Sir, I would request the minister of steel to look into this matter with immediate effect as it involves the payment of arrears of the Integrated Steel Plant employees who have already gone through severe mental harassment on this issue, Sir, although the first instalment has been paid to the current employees Sir, many of the employees especially those who have retired are still facing very much hardships.
Thank you.
