The ruling YSRCP, main opposition TDP and the Left Parties have resolved to fight against the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).
At a conference organised by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Samiti here on Wednesday, the leaders of all political parties decided to pass a resolution in this regard in all local bodies in the State, saying that the steel plant was the pride of Andhra Pradesh and it should not be privatised at any cost.
Speaking on the occasion, Vizianagaram MP Bellana Chandrasekhar (YSRCP) said that the State government had already conveyed its displeasure over the privatisation proposal. Vizianagaram MLA Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy (YSRCP) and Vizianagaram Zilla Parishad Chairman Majji Srinivasa Rao (YSRCP) also reiterated the same.
TDP former MLC Dwarapureddy Jagadish said that the Centre’s decision to privatise the VSP was a big jolt for the north Andhra region. CITU leader T.V. Ramana, who chaired the meeting, said that thousands of employees and workers of the VSP were facing a threat to their job security.
CITU leader Ch. Narasinga Rao, VSP Porata Committe chairman Mantri Rajasekhar demanded that the Centre reconsider the privatisation proposal as the VSP was established with the sacrifice of many people including farmers who had parted with their land. Leaders of political parties including T. Suryanarayana of the CPI (M), V. Ramana of CPI, Saragada Ramesh Kumar of Congress, K. Dayanand of Aam Admi Party, INTUC leader Modili Srinivas took part in the meeting.
