The Bharatiya Janata Party in Andhra Pradesh has been facing a piquant situation in the state politics, following the decision of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre to totally privatise the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), better known as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
As if rubbing salt on its wounds, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a trade union affiliated to the BJP, strongly opposed the decision of the Centre to privatise the steel plant against the wishes of the workers and people of the state.
The BMS has considerable presence in Visakhapatnam and is one of the prominent trade unions in the steel plant.
It has been under pressure from the workers, as all the other unions have been opposing the privatisation decision and agitating for the last 10 months.
Recently, the BMS decided to oppose the move of the Modi government to sell away public sector units.
The BMS has also joined the nationwide agitation against the move, arguing that some units are incurring losses due to gross mismanagement and the workforce is no way responsible for their state of affairs.
As part of the decision, the BMS has now decided to launch an agitation opposing the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, as the Centre is firm on its decision.
On Thursday, the BMS organised a daylong dharna at Kurmannapalem gate of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The BMS workers also took part in protest meetings near the offices of Visakhapatnam Port Trust, NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station Hindustan Shipyard Limited and Gas Authority of india Limited.
The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a Navratna company, is facing 100 per cent privatisation by the Department of investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of Finance on the ground that its debt liability has crossed Rs 22.000 crore and it is not in a position pump in fresh funds for its future expansion.
