Relay fast against sale of VSP enters 80th day

‘Public sector steel plants are saving lives by supplying medical oxygen’

The relay hunger strikes launched by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee in protest against the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) entered the 80th day on Sunday.

Union representatives from LMMM, WRM, RS&RS departments participated in the strike.

Addressing the gathering, committee convener J. Ayodhya Ram alleged that the ‘mindless decisions’ of the Centre, at a time when the nation was reeling under the coronavirus pandemic, was causing untold hardships to the people.

He called upon the people to teach a lesson to the BJP-led NDA government.

Oxygen supply

He said that public sector steel plants had emerged as a saviour for the coronavirus patients by supplying medical oxygen to hospitals and other COVID facilities.

He called upon the VSP management to improve the services being offered at the Visakha Steel General Hospital and take steps for the vaccination of all the employees. “During the first wave of the pandemic, the VSP had lost 19 lives. But in the last four days alone, 19 persons had lost their lives,” he said.