One-crore signature campaign to save Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

Visakhapatnam: Former Vice-Chancellor of Nagarjuna University V Balamohandas underlined the need to progress the ongoing agitation against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and public sector units as a public movement.

Inaugurating a campaign for collection of one crore signatures organised by the Visakhapatnam all party trade and public unions here on Thursday, the former VC said the VSP was established with the sacrifices of lives and lands and that it would not be allowed to get privatised. He demanded the Centre to reconsider the decision on 100 per cent disinvestment of the VSP and pass it on to the future generations as a PSU.

The former VC said that the public sector was the foundation of the country's economy and industrial development and it's the responsibility of the government to develop it by continuing it as a PSU. Balamohandas alleged that the government is misleading the people by declaring that the steel plant would not go anywhere.

CITU state president Ch Narasinga Rao announced that on November 12, the working class decided to block all the gates of the steel plant till noon as a part of their ongoing protest.

Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India national president N Kanaka Rao, AITUC district president P Ramana, INTUC district general secretary N Ramachandra Rao, JAC chairman M Jaggu Naidu and IFTU state vice president M Venkateswar were present.