The interests of the employees of the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) will be protected and its competitive ability will be increased and any decision on it will be taken by the Central government keeping these aspects in view, BJP all-India general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao has said.
At a press conference here, he said the BJP was not for disinvestment, privatisation or strategic sale per se and protecting the employees’ security and their livelihood was the responsibility of the Central government. He recalled that the fertilizer plant at Ramagundam was revived by the NDA government investing ₹5,000 crore keeping farmers’ interests in view.
On the alleged suicide of an employee fearing privatisation, he appealed to workers not to react emotionally or feel insecure. He wanted the commitment of the party not to be linked to visits of leaders here to console the family of the worker.
Answering a question on whether the BJP was distancing allies like Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan, who had helped it in 2014 elections, Mr. Muralidhar Rao said the party needed allies to go forward in Andhra Pradesh and the sincerity of the party need not be doubted. “We would talk to all in future to go in that direction,” he said.
The BJP leader said his party was in favour of reservations for various Backward Classes. The Central government would take a decision at the right time considering demands not only from Andhra Pradesh but Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana, among others.
On the railway zone issue too, it was committed to the promise made to Andhra Pradesh, he said.
Lok Sabha member and BJP State president K. Haribabu, MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, MLC P.V.N. Madhav and party city president M. Nagendra were present.
