The Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee has called upon the steel plant workers to make the ‘Chalo Parliament’, which is being organised on August 2 and 3 against the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), a success.
Addressing the media at the CITU office at Ukkunagaram on Monday, committee chairmen Ch. Narasinga Raosaid that the Centre had recently issued tenders for appointment of ‘transaction adviser’ and ‘legal adviser’ as part of its decision on the strategic sale of the VSP. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has already written two letters and sent the unanimous resolution adopted by the Assembly against the privatisation move to the Centre.
“The Centre also ignored the protests by MPs against privatisation of the VSP during the last Parliament sessions. Under these circumstances, there is no option left other than resorting to direct action. A protest will be organised by all trade unions opposite the Parliament building in New Delhi on August 2 and 3,” said Mr. Narasinga Rao and appealed to MPs of all political parties to oppose the decision on the privatisation of VSP in the Parliament. Committee convener J. Ayodhya Ram said that letters had been sent to the Parliamentary leaders of all political parties, seeking support in view of the ‘injustice meted out to the steel plant’ by the Centre.
Representatives of the committee would leave for Delhi on July 20 to explain the situation to the Parliamentary party leaders and elicit their support . They described the privatisation move as a measure to ‘play with the self respect of the people of Andhra’.
Committee members YT Das, U. Simhachalam, Murali Raju, Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao, Masen Rao, Dali Naidu, Boddu Pydiraju and Varasala Srinivasa Rao were among those who were present.
