Question : Performance of Steel PSUs

(a) whether the Government has directed all the Steel Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) including Steel Authorities of India Limited (SAIL) to improve their performance vis-à-vis private players on various parameters and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the PSUs are not only lagging behind on international benchmarks, but are also reportedly behind their private counterparts and complacent in ramping up capacities and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government and the achievement therefrom so far in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR STEEL (SHRI VISHNU DEO SAI)

(a)to(c): There are two steel manufacturing Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in India namely Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL).

The Government reviews and evaluates Steel CPSEs on the basis of their own performance on various parameters in the MoUs as entered into by them with the Ministry of Steel.

Most of the integrated steel plants in the Public Sector under Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) were set up in 1960s and 1970s except Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) which was set up in 1990s. Some of the technologies and equipments adopted therein have since become old and obsolete. Accordingly, techno-economic efficiency parameters are also not at par with modern plants set up in the country and abroad. Both the steel CPSEs have taken up modernization / expansion programmes to inter-alia address the problems of technological obsolescence.

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