Visakhapatnam: Bike rally held against VSP sale
CPM and trade union leaders inaugurating a bike rally at Kurmannapalem relay hunger strike camp in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday
Visakhapatnam: CPM district secretaryK Lokanadham demanded the Union government to withdraw its decision on 100 per cent strategic sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).
Inaugurating a bike rally at Kurmannapalem relay hunger strike camp here on Tuesday, he said Ukku stir would be intensified soon.
Steel plant employees and CPM activists participated in the bike rally that commenced at Kurmannapalem and was scheduled to conclude in Vijayawada on Wednesday.
As part of ‘Prajarakshana Bheri’, a public meeting is scheduled on Wednesday in Vijayawada under the aegis of Steel Plant CITU and CPM. Speaking on the occasion, Lokanadham criticised the failure of the state government to mount pressure on the Centre on the VSP’s privatisation decision.
Lokanadham said that the VSP provides employment to many people in the state. He alleged that the state government and the Opposition are in a position where they cannot question the Union government on the promises made in the state bifurcation Act. The YSRCP government failed to get a new railway zone as Visakhapatnam its headquarters, Polavaram project and North Andhra and Rayalaseema development funds. Honorary president of CITU J Ayodhya Ramu said the Union home minister Amit Shah himself announced that Chhattisgarh Nagarnar Steel Plant would not be privatised. It happened because of the uncompromising fighting spirit of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, he added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have been fighting against the privatisation of public sector units in their respective states, Ayodhya Ramu said. Taking a cue from the neighbouring states, the CPM leaders opined that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy should also mount pressure on the Centre to withdraw its decision on the VSP’s privatisation move.
Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee chairman D Adinarayana, CITU district president KM Srinivas, steel plant CITU president YT Das, general secretary U Rama Swamy, secretary V Prasad, trade union leaders D Suresh Babu, J Rama Krishna, TVK Raju were present.