Protest against sale of VPA's assets

Visakhapatnam: Representatives of all trade unions in Visakhapatnam staged a protest against the decision to sell and lease some of the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) assets to private managements. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) trade union leaders staged a dharna here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, trade union leaders D Adinarayana (AITUC) J Ayodhyaram (CITU) Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao (INTUC) and other union leaders said VPA was a public asset, its surplus land should be utilised for public purposes alone and not for sale. They pointed out that the Central government had taken a wrong decision to handover the VPA's function halls, hospitals and stadium to the private operators.

Since the BJP came to power, it has started selling public assets, lands and public sector units to corporate players, the union leaders alleged. With this, the country's wealth would go to the hands of a few section of people, they added. They opined that there is a need to stop the anti-people policies of the Union government. A large number of union leaders and steel workers participated in the protest.

Similarly, a dharna was held at VPA entrance gate under the aegis of the CITU. Party general secretaries RKSV Kumar and K Satyanarayana, president B Lakshmana Rao, leaders B Rama Rao and Kanaka Rao were present.