VUPPC organises maha dharna to save Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

Visakhapatnam: Protesting against the Central government's decision to sell Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), a massive dharna was organised under the leadership of the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) at the plant's main administrative building junction on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, VUPPC leaders D Adinarayana, Mantri Rajasekhar, Gandham Venkata Rao, YT Das, Y Masthanappa, J Ramakrishna, N Rama Rao, Varasala Srinivasa Rao and corporator B Gangarao said the VSP was established after many struggles and sacrifices that had cost 32 lives. They said the VSP was the wealth of the people and the conspiracy hatched by the Centre to privatise the plant would not be allowed. The maha dharna that started at 8 am continued till 3 pm. Hundreds of steel plant employees participated in the dharna, raising slogans against the Central government.

They demanded the Union government to withdraw its decision on privatisation of VSP and allot own captive mines to RINL. Opposing the Union government's decision, all the trade unions were united and a porata committee was formed to launch an agitation. For 526 days, the working class has been conducting relay hunger strike at Kurmannapalem junction. But the Union government is marching ahead to privatise the plant.

VSP recognised union president KSN Rao, Villa Ram Mohan Kumar and Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao among others participated in the dharna.