Ukku protesters stage maha dharna

Visakhapatnam: The protesters demanded an immediate reversal of the decision on privatising Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) at a ‘maha dharna’ organised in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Opposing the Central government’s attitude, the protesters demanded the TDP and Jana Sena Party leaders to mount pressure on the BJP government to continue the steel plant as a public sector unit.

Speaking on the occasion, Anakapalli district committee secretary K Lokanadham accused Narendra Modi’s government of destroying the VSP in a deliberate manner. He alleged that the Union government pushed the VSP into losses and conspired to hand it over to corporate giants like Adani and Ambani in the pretext of saving it from the losses.

Before the plant could be completely shut down, Lokanadham appealed to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan to intervene and approach the Union government to protect the plant.

He demanded Narendra Modi’s government to stop destroying Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and merge it with SAIL, and the alliance government should put pressure on the Centre regarding the same.

He raised objectiong to Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao’s statement that he would resign from his post and join the struggle if the Central government did not stop the sale of the VSP. He said workers and people would not believe such statements.

CPM Visakhapatnam district secretary M Jaggu Naidu criticised the Modi government for financially impacting the VSP.

He mentioned that the TDP and JSP are providing oxygen to the BJP government at the Centre and they should mount pressure on it to save the VSP.

GVMC CPM floor leader B Ganga Rao recalled that as part of the 2024 poll campaign, TDP and Jana Sena promised to stop the sale of the steel plant and develop it if they came to power.

The protesters demanded the Centre to merge the VSP with SAIL, to get its own mines and working capital, to run the plant at full capacity, and recruit locals for the jobs, and take immediate steps to pay the salaries of the permanent and contact workers on time.

CPM leaders B Eswaramma, KM Srinivas, B Jagan and employees were present.