Congress accuses government of breaking promise on Nagarnar Steel Plant privatization

The Congress party has accused the government of reneging on its promise to keep the Nagarnar Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region under public ownership. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, cited a media report indicating that the Union Ministry of Finance is likely to invite bids for privatizing NMDC Steel (NSL) within the next two months.

Ramesh criticized the move, pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured on October 3, 2023, that the Nagarnar Steel Plant would remain the property of Bastar’s people. He also noted that Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated this promise on October 19, 2023.

Ramesh emphasized that there has been strong opposition in Chhattisgarh to the plant’s privatization. Both former BJP Chief Minister Raman Singh and Congress Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had written to the Prime Minister objecting to the sale, with Baghel even offering for the state government to take over the plant’s operations during a NITI Aayog meeting in February 2021.