Rourkela: Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh, dedicated the rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 ‘Parvati’ of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) to the nation on Monday. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram was also present on the occasion.
Blast Furnace-1 ‘Parvati’ was the first blast furnace of SAIL to be dedicated to the nation on February 3, 1959, by the then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It was put down on August 6, 2013, for total rebuilding. Although erected on the old foundation, the rebuilt furnace, laced with superior technology, can now boast of an increase in its annual production capacity from 0.438 Million tonnes (MT) to 1.015.
Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Dr Aruna Sharma, Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Steel, Binoy Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Puneet Kansal, PS to Minister of Steel Sameer Shukla, Addl. PS to Minister of Steel Parvinder Singh, , Chairman, SAIL, P.K. Singh, Director (Projects & Business Planning), SAIL, Dr G. Viswakarma, Director (Personnel), SAIL, Atul Srivastava, CEO, RSP, Shri Ashwini Kumar and many other senior officers, employees of SAIL were present.
Earlier, the Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department of Super Speciality block at Ispat General Hospital. This unit will be unique in the region and will fulfil the requirements of not only Rourkela but also of the people of neighbouring districts and states. The dignitaries visited the state-of-the-art new plate mill of RSP and planted saplings in the Pragati Udyan in front of the mill.
Senior officers of SAIL, RSP and District Administration welcomed the Union Minister and other dignitaries on their arrival at the airstrip. An impressive Guard of Honour was presented to the Minister by the CISF unit at Rourkela Airstrip and also by the Odisha Police at Rourkela House.
