State-wide padayatra will be held to save VSP

Visakhapatnam: Intellectuals, civil society leaders, trade union leaders and advocates have called for a united fight against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

A round table meeting was held here on Friday to seek suggestions from intellectuals to mount pressure on the Central government to stop the sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

All the members, who attended the round table meeting, opined that a state-wide padayatra should be launched to save the VSP.

Speaking on the occasion, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) chairman D Adinarayana said Ukku stir would be converted into a people’s agitation with the support of various sections of people across Andhra Pradesh.

He mentioned that the Union government has deliberately pushed the VSP into losses.

If necessary, it was decided at the conference to organise a district-level bandh and a state-wide protests to protect the plant.

VUPPC chairmen Mantri Rajasekhar and Ch Narasinga Rao said since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power all public sector units were being handed over to private players.

As part of it, the VSP has been put up for sale under the garb of 100 per cent strategic sale.

It was not possible to sell the plant without any valuation audit, they opined. Narendra Modi’s government has taken steps to reduce the production capacity and weaken the plant financially, they alleged.