Visakhapatnam: CPM politburo member BV Raghavulu stressed that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is deliberately being weakened by the Centre.

Speaking to the media in Visakhapatnam on Monday, he called for Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s intervention in the matter and ensured that the plant gets back its lost glory and reinstates the contract workers who were removed from the plant.

He pointed out that the contract workers were removed with a bigger plan. The workers were fighting for their rights and job security. However, both the Centre and state government failed in resolving their issues, Raghavulu alleged. “Chief Minister has been repeatedly making announcements during his public speech that he would transform Anakapalli district as a steel hub. How far is it appropriate to weaken the neighbouring district’s steel plant and develop Anakapalli as another hub,” he questioned.

He expressed concern that the workers were removed from the plant without any valid reason. This has affected over 3,000 families of the VSP, and they find their future insecure. In August, the second phase of asset monetisation will commence. The Union government will identify a few more PSUs to hand them over to private players and steel plant lands also may form a part of it, Raghavulu said, adding that the Centre’s plan has to be stopped.

During the recent Niti Ayog meeting, Raghavulu pointed out that neither Chief Minister nor Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan discussed protecting VSP. “Looks like, even they are supportive of VSP’s sale along with the Centre,” he opined.

There is no difference after the NDA government came to power in the past one year and the situation may not improve much for the next four years too, he predicted.

Greater Visakhapatnam city committee secretary M jaggunaidu participated in the conference.