MLA for Mangaluru City North Y. Bharat Shetty has written to Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy seeking the merger of KIOCL Ltd. with NMDC Ltd.

In his May 25 letter to the Minister, Dr. Shetty said: “...KIOCL Ltd. has a glorious legacy but is currently facing severe operational distress. Merging KIOCL Ltd. with a stable, resource-rich central PSU like NMDC Ltd. will secure the company’s future, safeguard the livelihoods of its dedicated workforce and optimise national mining resources...”

The MLA said that the operations of KIOCL have been completely disrupted because the Karnataka government has not granted the final mining permission for the Devadari Iron Ore Project. This prolonged standstill has pushed the employees and their families into immense financial uncertainty.

“I raised this critical mater during the recent Assembly session. Unfortunately, the State government has not responded positively so far. Therefore, I humbly urge the Central government to exert its influence and pressure the State government to grant the pending mining approvals for the Devadari project immediately,” Dr. Shetty wrote.

The MLA said that labourers of KIOCL are facing hardship owing to many unresolved issues, which need to be addressed by the KIOCL management immediately.

Dr. Shetty requested the Minister to direct KIOCL management to address the issues of labourers.

“Finally, there is an urgent need to bring more large-scale industries to the Mangaluru region. Expanding industrial base is vital for generating sustainable employment opportunities for educated youth, who are otherwise forced to migrate,” Dr. Shetty said.

The MLA handed over the letter to Mr. Kumaraswamy when he met the Minister in Bengaluru on Monday.