Withdraw VSP sale move, Centre told

Visakhapatnam : The Centre should unconditionally withdraw the privatisation of Visakhapatnam steel plant (VSP) and ensure it continues to operate as a PSU, demanded members of Uttarandhra People’s Organisation, an umbrella organisation formed by people’s associations, democrats and intellectuals. Organising a massive rally in the city on Wednesday, the organisation representatives demanded the Centre to allot dedicated mines to the steel plant and infuse Rs10,000 crore as working capital for the plant so that it could limp back to the profitable track.

Stopping the deployment of employees to the other steel plants, providing permanent jobs to the displaced families of the VSP, regularising the contract workers and implementing reservation policies are their other demands on the occasion.

By making deliberate attempts to weaken the VSP, the Centre intends to sell it off to the corporate entity at throwaway prices, alleged V V Ramana Murthy, convener of the Uttarandhra People’s Organisation.

Further, the representatives demanded that the TDP and Jana Sena should mount pressure on the Centre to withdraw the privatisation move. If the Union government fails to budge, they stated that the TDP and JSP should withdraw their support to the BJP-led NDA government. The representatives urged people from all walks of life to extend support to the Ukku stir as the plant was established following several sacrifices.