A delegation of the MPs and trade union leaders from Andhra Pradesh, under the leadership of Rajya Sabha member and YSRCP general secretary V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, will meet leaders of various political parties in New Delhi on March 22 and 23, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee chairman Ch. Narasinga Rao has said.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, Mr. Narasinga Rao said a massive open meeting would be organised at Trishna Ground, near Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, on March 20, in which national leaders of all central trade unions would participate.
INTUC all-India president Gurram Sanjeeva Reddy, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur, HMS all-India vice-president Riyaz Ahmed, BMS secretary D.K. Pandhe, YSRTU State president P. Gowtham Reddy, and TNTUC State president G. Raghuram Raju would attend.
Govt. policies blamed
Condemning the statement of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, they said that the 10 reasons she had given for privatisation did not apply to the VSP.
The steel plant had expanded its capacity from 12 lakh tonnes to 63 lakh tonnes using its profits, and the Union government did not sanction any funds for it, they said.
The VSP was able to maintain the capacity of the Bhilai Steel Plant with a lesser number of workers, they said.
“Debts have increased only due to the government’s policies and interests on loans. Allotment of captive mines and conversion of loans into equity offer a permanent solution,” they added.
The BJP government at the Centre had proposed the strategic sale of VSP only to hand it over to corporates at a throwaway price, they alleged.
The fight would continue till the government withdrew the proposal, they said.
