In support of VSP workers, Sharmila launchers indefinite hunger strike

Visakhapatnam: There is no point in giving up hunger strike until 2,000 contract workers are reinstated, underlined AP Congress Committee (APCC) chief YS Sharmila Reddy.

Launching an indefinite hunger strike to extend support to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) workers strike at the relay hunger strike camp here on Wednesday, Sharmila said that until justice was meted out to the workers, she is not going to step back from the hunger strike.

Already, she warned the government to reinstate 2,000 contract workers, who were removed from work recently and issued an ultimatum to the plant management in this regard. However, as there was no response from the management so far, she reached the hunger strike camp located at Kurmannapalem in Visakhapatnam and commenced the hunger strike. She was accompanied by trade union leaders and employees as they welcomed her intervention in the issue. Speaking on the occasion, the APCC chief alleged that the BJP government is gradually killing the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. “They are laying off jobs, conspiring to block the supply of raw materials and increasing export prices to put a financial burden on the VSP,” she alleged, recalling that during the Congress rule, the idea was to allocate its own captive mines to the VSP.

The APCC chief mentioned that it is a lie that the steel plant was supported by the Central government. Sharmila lamented that Rs.8,000 crore were taken back in the garb bank loans after allocating a revival package of Rs.11,000 crore. She also pointed out that there is a condition to release another Rs.3,000 crore, if a total of 5,000 employees will be removed from the plant.

Further, APCC chief alleged that the TDP and Jana Sena Party government could not fulfil its promises made during election campaign. She accused the political parties for utilising the VSP issue for political purposes. “Why are they not stopping the workers from being laid off?” the APCC chief questioned the AP government.

Sharmila Reddy warned the Central government that the Congress party would not tolerate if the VSP is privatised. She demanded that the laid-off workers should be reinstated with immediate effect.