Visakhapatnam: Demanding reinstatement of contract workers who have been removed from the plant, displaced family members of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and union leaders staged a dharna here on Thursday. Speaking at the dharna held at the plant administrator building from 8 am to 11 am, former advisor to the Union government K Mahadev said that the contract workers terminated at the steel plant were most experienced and they should be reinstated with immediate effect.

Healso demanded that all the displaced persons, who were given lands for the steel plant establishment, should be reinstated.”Otherwise, the agitation will be intensified in future. As part of it, sit-in protests would be launched in collaboration with public organisations at the steel plant,” he informed.

Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee president and AITUC leader D Adinarayana stated that the VSP workers and employees would definitely stop the Centre’s attempt to handover the plant to a private player. He criticised the Central and State governments for showing step-motherly treatment towards Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

DP union president Peethana Bhaskar Rao, general secretary U Appa Rao, AITUC leader Mantri Ravi, INTUC leaders Vamsi Krishna, Mantri Gopi, HMS Ramana and other union leaderstook part in the protest.