PM presents Shram awards to 10 SAIL employees

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) Ten employees of the public sector Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) received four Shram Awards for the year 2004 from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here today.

Satyavan Nayak, Chargeman-cum-Senior Technician from Plate Mill, and a group comprising A K Kerketta, Chargeman, and T Maharana, Senior Technician, from Coke Oven and Coal Chemicals Department (CO and CCD) of SAIL's Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), each received the 'Shram Vir' which carries a cash award of Rs 60,000.

Modifications suggested by Mr Nayak to enhance the capability of shearing line-II, conveyors and improvement in plate movement of BSP's Plate Mill have helped SAIL achieve savings of nearly Rs 21 crore per annum. Innovations and improvements in maintenance practices by the this group enabled SAIL to achieve recurring savings of around Rs 71 crore and one-time savings of around Rs 18 crore.

Two groups- one again from Bhilai's CO and CCD and the other from Steel Melting Shop of SAIL's Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL) - received the 'Shram Shri' that carries a cash award of Rs 40,000. The winners in this category are: Chargemen Faheem Mohammed, Abhay Deshpande, and Malkeet Singh, Senior Technician Rajesh Kumar Besra and Technician Nagendra Kr Yadav, all from CO&CCD, Bhilai Steel Plant, and Senior Technicians K Rajashekhar and T Padmanabhachary, both from VISL.

Major innovative changes in coal handling at the plant by the BSP group helped the company achieve recurring annual savings of over Rs 14.6 crore and non-recurring savings of nearly Rs 35 crore. The VISL group was chosen for the 'Shram Shri' for helping the company accrue savings of around Rs 1.4 crore through improvements brought about in functioning of the plant's Steel Melting Shop.

UNI