Durg, Oct 18 Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), a Chhattisgarh-based unit of state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), on Sunday dismissed reports about its proposed sale as “false and misleading”, the assertion coming amid allegations from the Congress that the Adani Group was planning to visit the facility.
The BSP is located in Bhilai city in Durg district.
In a statement, the BSP said the Ministry of Steel has refuted the claims through its official social media handle, while the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check had also confirmed that the reports are false.
The plant appealed to its employees, stakeholders and the people of Chhattisgarh not to believe or circulate unverified information and urged them to rely on official and authenticated sources.
“BSP is not merely an industrial establishment; it is an integral part of Chhattisgarh’s identity, pride and industrial legacy. Since its inception, the plant has played a pivotal role in the state’s industrial development by generating employment, supporting ancillary industries and contributing to the livelihoods of thousands of families,” it said.
Its legacy and contribution have made it a source of pride for the people of Chhattisgarh, the statement asserted.
As a major unit of SAIL, the Bhilai Steel Plant continues to contribute to the growth of the country’s steel sector and strengthen India’s industrial capabilities, the statement said.
The BSP urged the people to refrain from spreading misinformation that could create unnecessary confusion among employees, their families and the people of Chhattisgarh.
The clarification came after former Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel alleged that Adani was likely to visit the plant.
In a post on X on October 14, Baghel said, “It has come to light that Adani is set to visit the Bhilai Steel Plant – our BSP. Do you understand the implications of Adani’s visit to the BSP? It means that Narendra Modi who is spearheading a campaign to sell off the nation, has now set his sights on our BSP. And his favored buyer is coming to conduct an inspection”.
“Modi ji should realize that the BSP is the soul of Chhattisgarh. And we, the people of Chhattisgarh, will not allow it to be sold under any circumstances. Not under any circumstances,” Baghel added.
Chhattisgarh BJP leaders should also understand that BSP is not for sale, Baghel had said.
Meanwhile, Congress’s Bhilai unit president Mukesh Chandrakar, in a statement on Sunday, said reports about the plant’s possible privatisation and the Adani Group’s alleged visit had triggered anger in the industrial town.
The reports had created apprehensions among employees, local shopkeepers and residents over job security, minimum wages for workers and the future of the plant’s township, he claimed.
(PTI News)
