VUPPC to hold state-wide ‘Rasta Roko’ to save VSP

Visakhapatnam : The Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) has decided to hold protests across the state in September as the Union government remains stubborn in privatising Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) by weakening it even further.

As part of it, the VUPPC decided to stage a protest at the CMD administration building of the VSP on August 22.

Chairmen of the committee CH Narasinga Rao, D Adinarayana and Mantri Rajasekhar appealed to the people of the state to participate in the movement, extend solidarity to the agitation and make the protest a success to protect the VSP from getting sold.

The leaders of the VUPPC said that the Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy promised to consider measures to operate the VSP with full capacity of production and its present focus is to help steer towards a profitable path. But, since the last few months, the RINL management has been negligent after the visit of the Union Minister.

Pointing out that own captive mines have not been allotted to the VSP since the last 30 years and owing to which they have to spend Rs 3,000 crore annually in addition to the rest of the steel plants, Narasinga Rao accused the management for implementing anti-labour activities in the plant. He mentioned that trade unions only want to run the Visakha Steel Plant with its full capacity.

Speaking on the occasion, Mantri Rajashekhar stated that last year, the Central government closed the blast furnace-III in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and reduced production by 40 percent, resulting in losses of around Rs 4,000 crore.

Even though there is more than 1 lakh tonnes of iron ore stored in the adjacent Gangavaram Port, the port management is not releasing the raw material to the VSP, he mentioned.

Sharing his views, D Adinarayana said that since the last five years, not even a single worker has been recruited by the management of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. More than 5,000 workers and officers have been retired, he added. He expressed anger that the government is trying to remove 3,000 personnel in the garb of VRS.

Further, Adinarayana said that Rs 1,400 crore have been allocated for the purpose of VRS. On the other hand, production is being reduced in the pretext of lack of funds to buy raw iron ore, he said. Leaders of all trade unions expressed ire that the Central government is acting with a sole aim to kill the VSP.

In protest against the Union government, the members of the VUPPC asked the people of the state to participate in the state-wide ‘Rasta Roko’ slated for September.