Despite a prolonged agitation, Centre remains unmoved on VSP

Visakhapatnam: Even as the agitation that began 900 days back to save Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) from getting privatised, it did not leave any impact on the Union government. In fact, every step required to accelerate the process of VSP sale has been considered by the Centre.

At a time when general elections are approaching close, trade unions and steel plant personnel hope that there is a chance for the Union government to withdraw the strategic sale of the VSP at the last moment like how it did in the case of three farm laws.

After taking charge as BJP State president, D Purandeswari was cautious not to give any assurance regarding withdrawal of the plant’s strategic sale. However, she maintained that the Centre is keen on taking steps that would benefit the employees at a larger level.

Earlier, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) members and employees staged protests across the State in various forms. They included a one-crore signature campaign, ‘Padayatra’, rallies, State-wide bandhs, ‘rasta roko’, relay hunger strike and public meetings. Extending support to the movement, the ruling YSRCP organised a 25-km ‘Padayatra’ led by Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy where the trek began from the GVMC Gandhi statue and concluded at Kurmannapalem junction.

Political parties that were supposed to exert pressure on the Centre have extended their support to the stir in some way or the other but eventually remained silent on the issue. However, the trade union representatives, led by VUPPC, continued their agitation for 899 days as on July 30, 2023.

Closure of the blast furnace 3, disruption in the supply of coal, not approving own captive mines, not providing financial support, freezing recruitments and disposing the properties of VSP one after the other are some of the measures that weakened the steel plant so that it can be labelled as ‘industrial sickness’. The trade union representatives have been bringing out such lapses to the fore for the past several months.

Close to 2.68 lakh tonnes of coal imported from Russia and USA with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, has been stuck in Adani’s Gangavaram Port. “If the VSP has to come forward to release the coal, it has to pay Rs 50 crore for the same. Since the VSP could not pay for now, the stock has been blocked by the Gangavaram Port,” mentions D Adinarayana, chairman of VUPPC.

This largely impacts the production of the VSP. The Gangavaram Port was established on the lands acquired for the purpose of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Blocking the stock for the VSP now is nothing but a move directed by the Union government to weaken the steel plant even further, points out Adinarayana.

Unless the Ukku stir is converted into people’s agitation and efforts are taken to teach a befitting lesson to the Centre and the State governments, withdrawal of strategic sale of VSP seems to be a far cry, he says.