Sharmila accuses BJP govt at Centre of destroying VSP

Visakhapatnam : Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief YS Sharmila Reddy has accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of destroying the Visakhapatnam steel plant.

Staging a sit-in protest at Ukkunagaram here on Wednesday demanding reinstatement of 4,2000 contract workers, the APCC chief said that it is unfair to stop the contract workers even as the state government claims that it’s not for the privatisation of the VSP.

“Salaries were not paid for the contract workers for the past four months. Moreover, there was no notice served to them before asking them not to show up at work,” she pointed out. During Congress rule, the VSP was generating profits. However, the BJP destroyed the plant completely and converted it into a sick company, Sharmila criticised, adding that if need be even Rahul Gandhi will extend support to the Ukku stir.

Sharmila recalled that many people had voluntarily given lands for the construction of the VSP.

She said that due to lack of own captive mines, the VSP has to face extra financial burden on production.

She also alleged that the prices of the raw materials given to the plant have been increased recently, causing financial strain.

The APCC chief made it clear that the BJP government is thinking of selling the VSP in the pretext of the plant incurring losses. Sharmila recalled that during the Congress tenure, the plant’s capacity had increased from three million tonne to seven million tonnes.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan should come to Visakhapatnam and give assurance to the contract workers of Visakhapatnam steel plant that they will be taken back into work, she said.

On the Tirupati laddu issue, Sharmila Reddy stated that the Congress Party is demanding a CBI investigation since the issue came to light. She informed that on behalf of the party, a letter was sent to the Supreme Court to take up the issue as a suo motu case. It is not appropriate to use sacred Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for political purposes, she pointed out.