Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], former MP and ruling YSRCP Lok Sabha candidate from Visakhapatnam Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi urged the striking Gangavaram port workers and unions to allow the movement or passage of about lakh tonnes of imported coking coal. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (RINL) has had to stop production due to shortage of coal reserves. However, due to the ongoing strike of workers at Gangavaram port for the last few days, the coal stock has been closed. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is facing shortage. Movement of about two lakh tonnes of coal from Gangavaram port has been stopped, I am urging the striking employees and unions to allow transportation of coal mines from Gangavaram ports to the steel plants.Employees went on strike against management's alleged negligence in resolving their long-pending demands, Jhansi urged immediate action to prevent further damage, with possible permanent damage to the plant's infrastructure if the crisis continued. Highlighted, "Due to shortage of coal, closure of steel plants may occur. Lack of sufficient coking coal and non-operation of coke ovens may result in irreparable permanent damage to coke oven batteries and coke ovens," Lakshmi said. , “Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is showing a turnaround with better marque conditions and operation of three blast furnaces but disruption in the supply of coke coal has raised the possibility of closure of two of the three blast furnaces,” Lakshmi said. Unlike the furnace, the coke oven has to remain operational all the time. If the coking coal crisis is not averted, it could cost the Visakhapatnam steel plant Rs 20,000 crore, leaving 20,000 employees unemployed. He said that this will create a situation of deep crisis in future. He expressed hope that the efforts will end the crisis soon. The unions of both Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) and Gangavaram Port said "We have appealed to the striking unions of GPL to show leniency and consider their strike as a humanitarian gesture to allow movement of coking coal from Gangavaram Port to VSP. I call upon them to save the steel plant and the livelihood of its workers.), I raised concerns over coal reserves in Parliament, I requested the government to allocate coal mines for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. If the government had arranged for captive coal mines for the steel plants, the current crisis would not have been faced,” Jhansi said.