Team News Riveting
Bhilai, March 8
Women at SAIL-BSP are making heads turn by creating waves working in Coke ovens to C and IT, Cost management, INCOS to Instrumentation, Power Systems to Projects, RCL, the steel melting shops to the finishing mills, Personnel, Management Services, Administration, Finance, Education, Town Services, Medical and Health Services etc.
There are about a thousand women at Bhilai Steel Plant working in multiple locations, contributing to the plant’s production process directly or indirectly and are an epitome of strong career women – balancing their work and home front with finesse.
These women are shuttling between shifts to school assignments, meetings to marathons and are doing this with elan!! Adding to the Plant’s nation-building facilities, these women are truly the women of steel- full of sincerity, smartness, steely resolve who balance supply chain management and social networking with ease.
We spoke to a few women employees of SAIL-BSP. Here’s what they had to say:
Ms. Vinita Verma, AGM (RCL) is looking after the Mechanical Testing Lab-2 of RCL, which caters to Plate Mill. Different grades are tested according to their thickness and supply conditions, she explains. Various types of tests like tensile testing, band testing and hardness testing are executed by her team. A second-generation Bhilaian, Vinita’s father was an employee of Coke Ovens department. I feel proud to work on projects which are of national importance, for instance, testing plates for the defence sector.
Ms. Shruti Pandey, DM (SMS 3), an MTT from 2014 batch feels that SMS 3 is her second home. We get the opportunity to learn new things every day here. We grasp the possibilities and act accordingly, she added. I feel empowered getting respect from colleagues. The glory of working in SMS 3 is alluring in itself, she added.
Ms. Suman Pandey, Sr. Tech (WRM) has been associated with the Electrical section of Wire Rod Mill since 1998. A Vishawakarma awardee, Suman keeps working on new projects under the guidance of Ms. Anupma Kumari, GM (WRM) who keeps her motivated. Working with a team of 30-odd employees in her section, she proudly says she is not apprehensive about anything. There is equal opportunity to work and prove our mettle, she feels.
Ms.Kavita Kumari, who has worked in the Electrical Control Room (ECR), shipping and planning areas of the Electrical section in Bar and Rod Mill is veteran by now. Having worked in BRM since its inception stage way back in 2016, she has the responsibility of being on call 24 hours. She ensures billets are available and does crisis-management when there is a problem even in wee hours of the night. She has experience of working in Heat Movement Monitoring System (HMMS) overseeing that billets are charged to shipping.
Seema Kumari, an OCT from SAIL-BSP’s Bar and Rod Mill joined in 2014. She has worked in Crane maintenance in Wire Rod mill. She has worked in Pulpit operation in BRM in 2018 and after her maternity leave, she has joined the Planning cell. I feel proud to work in an area which has a computerised interface. We get good exposure working in different sections of the Mill, she says.
Phoolmani, an OCT from 2010 has completed her Diploma in Metallurgy. She too has work experience of SAIL-BSP’s Wire rod Mill and BRM. There is no gender bias and I simply love to work in Operations at Bhilai Steel Plant. We are here since the inception of BRM and have paved the way forward for smooth functioning of the Plant, she proudly says.
Nita Sahu, an apprentice who completed her training here in 2020 has been absorbed in SAIL-BSP’s BRM on contractual basis. There are new aspects to learn in every stage – from shipping, despatch to Invoicing, I enjoy every stage, she says.
Pooja Mukherjee, an OCT from 2015 is one of the few women to work in SAIL-BSP’s Coke ovens department. She prepares sketches of new Shafts, hydraulic cylinders, pulley assembly, drums etc. in AUTOCAD. After it is sanctioned by EDD, these items are manufactured by Engineering shops or procured from outside. I’m guided and inspired by seniors and get full cooperation from everyone around here, she says.
Sonam Behera, OCT who joined SAIL-BSP’s SMS 3 in 2018 has worked in BOF operations in Material handling. Equal opportunity at work is a boon, she says. We get ample chances to work in production areas and it is indeed a fulfilling experience to work in SAIL-BSP, she added.
Archana Atika Singh, AM (SMS 3) worked as a daily demurrage calculator in SAIL-BSP’s Traffic and Diesel department before moving to the Executive cadre in 2018. Currently, she works in Caster, SRU and Billet yard looking after the Electrical planning requirements. I feel proud working in one of the main hot shops of SAIL-BSP, she gleams.
Anupma Kumari, GM (WRM) who is Incharge of Electrical, Shipping area and Conveyor area of Wire rod Mill joined the Mill as an MT(T) in 1993. Monitoring and working on drives, maintenance and automation is a continuous job. I cherish the freedom I’ve got to do which job I want to execute here in SAIL-BSP. I take pride in generating jobs on my own, she added.
Pushpa Ambrose, GM (SMS 3) has worked in SAIL-BSP’s Coke Ovens for 25 years. She was then posted to EMD. Currently, she is the Departmental Safety Officer for SMS 3. There is an urgent need to identify and understand process safety hazards. We must educate and communicate with our employees so that there is 100 % Safety. Our motto is to be accident free, she says.
A grand salute to all women – who are multi-taskers and multi-talented….at SAIL-BSP women are truly crossing the threshold of gender parity.
