AP questions TS bidding moves

Vijayawada: The decision of the Telangana government to ask Singareni Collieries Company Ltd to participate in the Rs 5,000 crore bid of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has caused ripples in the AP government.

Industries Minister G Amarnath at a press conference questioned the intention of the TS government to participate in a bid which could ultimately lead to privatisation of the VSP. He said how can the TS government give expression of intention if it was opposed to privatisation of the steel plant? The minister said if the TS government was against privatisation, it could write a letter to the Central government and demand for allotment of captive mines to the steel plant. He said as per the memo issued by the Central government on April 19, 2022 neither Central nor state public sector organisations can participate in the privatisation bids. He asked, violating the rule, how can the Telangana government participate in the privatization bid.

However, analysts point out that in the past Kerala Government had participated in the bid for the Hindustan Newsprint and the then GOI had permitted them.

He said both the BJP and BRS parties are politicizing the steel plant issue. He reiterated that the AP government was opposed to privatisation of VSP.

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said, repeatedly requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to drop privatisation of VSP and instead allot captive mines to the steel plant.

Even a resolution was passed in the Assembly. "Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku," is also the slogan of YSRCP.