Reeling under acquit financial crunch SAIl’s Bokaro Steel Plant (BSl) on cost-cutting drives.
On the directive of higher ups BSl management took several measures including rolling back of telephone facilities to many officials, issued a circular for late payment of salaries to officials of higher ranks (DGM and above), informed an official.
"The plant management also asked the advertisers to minimise their advertisement rates amid paying huge subsidies of Rs 16 lakh monthly and other facilities to two of the canteens for refreshment of their workers”, added the official on the condition of anonymity.
BSl is providing approximately Rs 7.94 lakh as subsidies to the two canteens belongs to Indian Coffee House, one at ADM building and another at ED Works building inside the plant, said another official.
Apart from this management also started to provide Rs 8 lakh to other eleven canteens from December 2015 including fixed charges of Rs 32,500 and others maximum up to Rs 35,000 to each, said the official.
Management is providing free of cost lPG of Rs 6.40 lakh as service charges, Rs 40000 for transportation of staff and raw meterials, Rs 16,000 for house keeping to both of the canteens. “Their staffs are also provided accommodation facilities along with OPD facilities at Bokaro General Hospital,” he added.
Beside all employees are getting food stuffs equivalent to market price in the canteens, alleged the official. Many BSl employees are yet to get accommodation facilities but on the other hand management is providing such facilities to the non-BSl staff, allotted 20 quarters the to the canteen staff including outdoor medical facilities to them.
“During the hard time all these should be cuts down”, urge the official adding, But the management has issued the circular stating delay in payment of salaries to the all officials ranked DGM and above. “There are 325 DGMs (approx) and many higher officers at BSl and they will get their salaries by 15 of the month till the conditions revive,” he added.
Meanwhile, huge misuses of Electricity and Imported Coal (low ash Australian coal) are rampant inside the plant. Flouting the norms several Canteens are using imported coal to cook food. “According to the norms lPG gas has to be used for cooking at canteen. Though the electricity supplies are free to the canteens but use of electricity in cooking are strictly prohibited,” sources added.
Despite ban most of
the canteen operators rampantly using electricity for cooking, while most of them are using ‘imported coal’ for the same, he said.