Scores of employees of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), displaced persons and their families and trade unions’ representatives participated in the ‘Maha Padayatra’, organised under the aegis of the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee and the displaced persons’ association at Gajuwaka here on Sunday demanding the continuation of the VSP in the public sector.
The participants raised slogans denouncing the decision of the BJP government to privatise the VSP and sought its continuation in the public sector. The union leaders recalled that the VSP was established after several struggles and 32 persons had lost their lives in the agitations that were held for its establishment in Visakhapatnam.
Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao demanded that the Centre revoke its decision on the privatisation of the VSP. He called upon the BJP leaders from the State to draw a cue from Telangana where leaders of all parties had joined hands for a separate State by setting aside their political differences.
The Minister said it was unfortunate that the BJP leaders in the State had no interest in prevailing upon the Central leadership on the operationalisation of Visakhapatnam-headquartered South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR), which was announced before the last general elections, setting up of a steel plant in Kadapa and other assurances, which were given in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. After failing to keep those promises, the BJP government was adding insult to injury by announcing its decision to privatise the VSP, he said.
Calling for unity among all political parties, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said, “The future generations will not forgive us if we fail to protect the VSP, which was achieved with great sacrifices. The YSR Congress Party government and the YSR Congress Party will stand by the workers and the people in their struggle against the privatisation of VSP.” He said that Gajuwaka MLA T. Nagi Reddy would represent the party in the struggle.
Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari, Anakapalle MLA Gudivada Amarnath, Porata Committee leaders Mantri Rajasekhar and Ch. Narasinga Rao were among those who spoke.
