The project, titled “Enrichment of Wagon Unloading at Wagon Tippler”, aimed at eliminating wagon detention, improving operational safety and enhancing the efficiency of raw material unloading.

The Quality Circle identified wagon swinging and improper positioning as the major causes of delays in wagon unloading. These problems resulted in production disruptions, equipment damage, increased maintenance requirements and railway demurrage. Through systematic analysis and brainstorming, the team developed and implemented a rail car retarder mechanism to ensure proper wagon positioning, along with an indication system to facilitate better coordination with the control room.

Following successful implementation, the average wagon unloading delay in Phase-I was reduced significantly from 32 hours per month to 6 hours per month, an improvement of around 81 per cent. The modification has also helped reduce damage to hydraulic components, improve equipment reliability and provide additional time for maintenance and housekeeping.

Besides tangible financial gains, the initiative has enhanced workplace safety, operational convenience, teamwork and employee confidence.

The Ananya Quality Circle comprises Mr. A. K. Jena, Mr. S. K. Samal, Mr. B. B. Sethy and Mr. A. K. Naik, all Junior Engineering Associates with Mr. A. K. Dhal, Deputy Manager, as facilitator.

As per the existing provisions, employees are required to vacate their allotted quarters within two months of separation from service. However, 133 quarters continue to remain under unauthorized occupation, with some occupants retaining possession for periods ranging from 3 to 20 years. During this period, essential utilities such as electricity and water have also continued to be availed of in these premises.

The prolonged unauthorized occupation of company quarters has emerged as a significant concern, particularly as several of these accommodations belong to higher-grade categories and are urgently required for allotment to serving employees awaiting company accommodation.

Despite earlier efforts involving legal proceedings, including the filing of Public Premises (PP) cases, issuance of formal notices and persuasion through Town Services, the recovery of these quarters remained a challenge. Taking serious note of the matter, RSP management has now launched an intensified and coordinated drive to ensure the recovery of all quarters under unauthorized occupation.

A dedicated task force led by the Head of Town Services, and police personnel, is visiting the premises to facilitate their vacation and recovery by the company. The intensified efforts have already yielded encouraging results, with approximately 15 quarters recovered in less than a month.

The drive reflects RSP’s firm commitment to ensuring the proper utilisation of company accommodation and making it available to eligible serving employees. The recovery operation will continue until all quarters under unauthorized occupation are vacated and restored to the company for allotment to deserving employees.

The initiative has been undertaken to utilise the existing infrastructure effectively, improve store operations and de-bottleneck the movement of bay items. The new PS-III Store will accommodate conveyor belts presently stored at PS-II, along with certain heavy materials of Central Stores that are currently kept in the open. This will help decongest storage space at PS-II and Central Stores, besides ensuring better protection and preservation of materials.

It is noteworthy that, following the phasing out of HSM-1, the mill shed structure in the ESM Bay had remained unutilised. Its conversion into a modern storage facility reflects RSP’s focus on optimal asset utilisation, systematic material management and operational efficiency.

The new facility is expected to augment the store movement function, streamline material handling operations and improve the shelf life of stored items through covered and organised storage.

The inauguration was attended by Mr. A.C. Sarkar, CGM In-charge, Services, Mr. S.S. Roychoudhury, CGM, Maintenance, Mr. T Vinod, CGM, MM, Mr. Ashish Ranjan, GM In-charge, MM & Stores along with several senior officers of the Materials Management Department and employees.

The agreement takes effect from 1 October 2026 and will remain valid for three years, with an option to extend it by one additional year.

The MoU was signed by Mr. T. Vinod, CGM (Materials Management), on behalf of RSP, and Mr. Prakash Bharati, Divisional Institutional Business Head, Sambalpur Division, on behalf of IOCL. Senior officials from both sides, including Mr. Anil Kumar, ED (MM), were present.

The arrangement aims to ensure reliable and uninterrupted supply of essential petroleum products needed for the plant’s operations and transportation requirements, further strengthening the long-standing partnership between RSP and IOCL.PL breif the news item in two small simple  pairagraph . also suggest better heading.

For the cumulative period of April-September 2026 (H1 FY27), SAIL recorded its best-ever production in hot metal, crude steel and finished steel at 10.2 million tonnes (MT), 9.6 MT and 8.39 MT, registering 2%, 1% and 1% growth, respectively, over the same period last year. The percentage of finished steel production in total saleable steel production improved to 89.2%, up from 86.8% in April-September 2025. Focusing on high NSR products, SAIL achieved its best-ever April-September high-end steel production of around 2 MT, reflecting 30% growth over CPLY. Both iron ore production and iron ore sales also recorded their best-ever April–September performance, with iron ore production growing 13% over CPLY and iron ore sales rising sharply to 2.671 MT, a 190% increase. During the period, the dispatches to Indian Railways for Long rails and Wheels & Axles grew by 7% and 3% respectively over CPLY.

On the techno-economic front, specific energy consumption improved to 6.17 G.Cal/tcs, marking the best-ever H1 performance with a 0.5% gain. In H1 FY27, the Company achieved inventory reduction of about 0.145 MT and borrowing reduction of approximately ₹1,080 crore during the period.

In September 2026, concerted marketing focus and efficiency enhancements yielded strong results, with SAIL achieving its best-ever September saleable steel sales of 1.69 MT, a 4% growth over CPLY. The Company’s exclusive retail branded product, SAIL SeQR TMT bars, recorded its highest sales of more than 1.5 lakh tonnes, while Tier-II retail sales grew 3% y-o-y. The month also recorded best ever September sales for specific products like – Structurals, Plate Mill plates and GP sheets/coils.

The percentage of finished steel production in total saleable steel production improved to 92%, compared to 89% in September 2025. The fuel rate improved to 551 kg/thm, the best-ever September performance with a 1% improvement. Similar to the cumulative April–September trend, both iron ore production and iron ore sales registered their best-ever September performance. Iron ore production was up 8% compared to September 2025, while iron ore sales surged to 0.492 MT, marking a record September with 134% growth over September 2025. The Company also achieved inventory reduction of about 0.192 MT and borrowing reduction of approximately ₹208 crore during the month.

SAIL’s September and H1 FY26–27 results underscore its commitment to efficiency, innovation, and financial prudence, positioning the Company strongly for the remainder of the fiscal year. Commenting on the performance, Dr. A.K. Panda, Chairman and Managing Director, SAIL, said, “These record achievements in the first half of FY26–27 & September reflect the collective commitment of our workforce towards efficiency, innovation, and sustainable growth. SAIL’s broad‑based production strength and a sharper focus on high-end steel, SAIL is well positioned to contribute even more strongly to India’s industrial progress in the months ahead.”

The proposed project is expected to tap around 79 million tonnes of potential extractable reserves in Phase 1, according to BCCL’s regulatory filing. The adjoining blocks will be developed through an integrated mining arrangement, with operations initially planned in the Kalyaneshwari block, while overburden generated during mining will be dumped in the Ramnagore block. The partnership is aimed at supporting domestic availability of coking coal and strengthening the raw-material base for India’s steel sector.

BCCL described the partnership as part of efforts to strengthen domestic sources of coking coal and support raw-material availability for the sector.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Sarkar encouraged the spouses to support and empathize with the retiring employees, helping them navigate the changes of post-retirement life for a smooth and positive transition.

A session on “Mindset for smooth Transition to a new phase of life after Retirement” was conducted by Mr. B Nahak, AGM (CP-2) while Mr. Pappu Kumar, AGM (F&A) deliberated on various aspects of Financial Security Planning.  Mr. T B Toppo, DGM (Horticulture) shared tips on Post Retirement Engagement while Dr. S Kumar, Additional CMO (OHSC) spoke about ‘Ensuring good health, well-being and holistic approach for a meaningful Life.’

Mr. S P Majhi, Assistant Manager (HR) welcomed the gathering and also proposed a formal vote of thanks. The workshop was co-ordinated by Mr. S C Nayak, Deputy Manager (HR) under the guidance of Mr. Avinash, AGM (HR) with the support of and HR- ER&C team.  It is noteworthy that the workshop is being held at regular intervals covering the spouses of the -to-be-retired employees.

The selection followed interviews with 10 candidates, including senior officials from SAIL and other public-sector organisations. The shortlisted candidates included Executive Directors and Chief General Managers from SAIL, as well as senior finance officials from Indian Railway Finance Corporation and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited.