Bike rally commences to save VSP from strategic sale

Visakhapatnam: CPM state secretary V Srinivasa Rao called for YSRCP, Telugu Desam, Jana Sena Party and the general public to come together to fight against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and extend their support to the agitation.

To save the VSP from getting privatised and create awareness among the public, a bike rally was launched from GVMC Gandhi statue here on Wednesday.

Srinivasa Rao said people of Andhra Pradesh and the CPM party will not allow the Central government to handover the VSP to private players.

He demanded clarity from the political parties’ whether they will fight against the BJP’s move or not. Srinivasa Rao alleged that all the party leaders are making statements that they will come and protect the steel plant but they are not fighting against the BJP.

He said that the YSRCP and TDP should reject privatisation at the Parliament but it is regrettable that the parties were not taking any serious action against VSP’s strategic sale.

He demanded that the political parties should have agendas in their manifestos during the upcoming elections for the VSP protection.

Former vice-chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University V Balamohandas said the VSP has to bear a heavy burden because it does not have its own captive mines. He opined that the Union government has to extend financial support to the plant and allot its own mines.

CPM district secretary M Jaggu Naidu stated that the industry is very important not only for North Andhra but also for the state.

Under the leadership of the CPM, the bike yatra will pass through Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Manyam Parvathipuram, Araku and Anakapalli. The rally will return to Kurmannapalem relay hunger strike camp on September 29.

CPM state secretary K Lokanadham, district secretary M Pydiraju, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee leaders D Adinarayana, TV Krishnam Raju and J Ayodhyaramu spoke on the occasion.