The sale of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and other public sector units (PSUs) will lead to the downfall of the BJP government, said all party trade unions and people’s organisations Joint Action Committee (JAC).
The JAC called for State-wide agitations against the adamant attitude of the Centre in deciding to go ahead with its decision to privatise the VSP, ignoring the protests and relay hunger strikes being organised by employees, displaced persons and workers for the past 200 days. At a meeting organised at the RTC Complex Junction here on Monday, the JAC leaders said that all political parties, except the BJP, and all trade unions, except BMS, were opposing the privatisation of the VSP. Resolutions were passed in the Assembly and the GVMC council against the decision, they said.
The BJP government was, however, making repeating statements in Parliament that along with VSP, other PSUs would also be privatised. They alleged that the Union government was shamelessly describing it as ‘strategic sale’. JAC district chairman M. Jaggu Naidu, vice chairmen Padala Ramana and B. Nagabushanam, convener M. Venkateswarlu, CFTUI president N. Kanaka Rao, POW State secretary M. Lakshmi were among those who addressed the gathering.
A torch rally was taken out by steel workers, under the aegis of thse Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee at Kurmannapalem on Monday evening. Committee chairman Mantri Rajasekhar condemned the adamant attitude of the Centre on the issue.
