Three top leaders of the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh – chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan and state IT minister Nara Lokesh came to Visakhapatnam on Friday for different events.
But, unfortunately, none of the three leaders did not find any time to visit Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and bother about the agitating workers who are protesting against plans to privatise the steel plant.
Political leaders and trade unions are protesting against what they allege is a systematic attempt to privatize the plant. Workers fear that with 44 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) invited for privatization, thousands of jobs will be lost.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y S Sharmila said it was unfortunate that none of the top leaders in the government bothered about the systematic attempt by the Centre to weaken the steel plant.
“The workforce has already been slashed from 35,000 employees during YSR’s tenure to 20,000 now. Privatization will lead to further job cuts. The Modi government for “silently killing” the plant by pushing it into financial distress,” she said.
Sharmila said during YSR’s tenure, the state supported the plant even during losses by providing Rs 2,000 crore in aid and creating thousands of jobs.
In contrast, she alleged, the current central government has reduced the supply of raw materials, cutting required 10 lakh tonnes of iron ore to just 5 lakh tonnes, and depriving the plant of its own mines.
Accusing the Centre of eyeing the plant’s Rs 4 lakh crore worth of assets and land, protesters alleged that the government is giving with one hand — offering Rs 11,000 crore — and taking it back with the other through debt traps.
She demanded an immediate withdrawal of the privatization bids and questioned the silence of local parties like TDP, Jana Sena, and YSRCP, accusing them of siding with the Modi government despite promising to fight for the plant during elections.
