Express News Service reported that Visakha Ukku agitation 2.0 got a fillip on Saturday with the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant workers taking out a huge two-wheeler rally from VSP to Saraswati Park in protest against the Centre’s move to privatise the plant. The roads through which the rally passed reverberated with slogans of ‘save steel plant’ by workers led by Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee. The leaders who participated in the rally denounced the BJP government’s latest move to expedite the strategic sale of RINL, the corporate entity of VSP. They demanded resignation of MLAs and MPs from the State to press for revocation of the privatisation move. The two-wheeler rally joined another rally taken out from Saraswati Park to Gandhi statue near GVMC office where a mahasabha was organised to mark 100 days of the relay hunger strike being organised by all-party workers unions and Praja Sanghala JAC. Dance troupes of Praja Natya Mandali and CITU workers holding umbrellas with slogans of ‘save Vizag steel plant’ were the centre of attraction.

 

CITU state general secretary and former MLA Md Gafoor and AITUC state secretary Obulesu said the Centre was responsible for the losses suffered by the steel plant. They said “Had captive mines been sanctioned, the plant would have earned profits. The BJP government will face consequences if it further expedites the privatisation process, they warned.”

 

Incidentally, the Andhra Pradesh unit of BJP is also opposing the attempts to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. BJP President of Andhra Pradesh Mr Somu Veerraju said that they are against tenders called as part of the privatisation.

 

source：SteelGuru Business News