Privatisation Of Visakha Steel Plant: NGOs take out massive rally in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: The State government employees are vehemently opposing the decision of the Central government to privatise the Visakha steel plant, which was achieved after a great struggle, said AP NGOs Association leaders N Chandrasekhar Reddy, Bandi Srinivasa Rao and A Vidya Sagar.

The leaders of the AP NGOs Association and the employees took out a massive rally expressing solidarity with the State bandh call given by the political parties and the people's associations against the privatisation proposal of Visakha steel plant here on Friday.

AP NGOs Association State president Chandrasekhar Reddy said that it was hurting the sentiments of the people of the State. The privatisation move would result in 16,000 employees losing jobs and 17,500 contract workers losing livelihood, he pointed out. In addition, one lakh people are indirectly eking out living, he said.

"It is grossly unjust to take away the only public sector undertaking from the State," he said.

AP NGOs district unit president A Vidya Sagar said that it is not proper to not allot captive mines for the Visakha Steel Plant. "The people would intensify the agitation if the Centre goes ahead with the privatisation," he warned.

The government employees rally which started at the NGOs Home passed through principal streets in the city and finally culminated in a meeting at Dharna Chowk.

NGOs leaders Ajay Kumar, B Krupavaram, M Venkateswara Reddy, K Jagadiswar Reddy, B Janaki, Tulasiratnam, Nirmala Kumari, M Rajyalakshmi, CV Ramana, Ch Nagabhushanam, Md Iqbal, Ch Sriram, B Satish Kumar, J Swamy, K Sampat Kumar, VS Sairam and employees of various departments participated in the rally.