Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Gidugu Rudra Raju and representatives of Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) have called upon the public to make the public meeting, being held as part of the Steel Plant Declaration of the Congress Party, at Ukkunagaram on March 15, a huge success.
At a media conference organised at Ukkunagaram here on Wednesday, Mr. Rudra Raju said that the Congress was responsible for increasing the value of the land given by the farmers for establishment of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant(VSP). The Congress government had established the steel plant in backward region of North Andhra with the objective of providing employment to the local people and others in the public sector.
He said that the common objective should be to prevent privatisation of VSP. This was the reason why the Congress would support any party, which would include it in their manifesto and organise struggles for protection of VSP. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy would introduce the Steel Plant Declaration at the public meeting. He alleged that the ruling YSRCP and the Opposition parties were doing injustice to the people of the State on the issue.
APCC Working president P. Rakesh Reddy said that the public meeting would be held at the Trishna Grounds in Ukkunagaram at 4 p.m. on March 15. APCC president Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, manifesto committee members Pallam Raju, Raghuveera Reddy and J.D. Seelam would also participate in the meeting. INDIA Bloc partners CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, CPI State secretary Ramakrishna and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State leaders would also participate in the meeting and extend their support to the declaration.
Film Director P. Satya Reddy said that the trailer of film ‘Ukku Satyagraham’, which was shot in the backdrop of the Steel Plant agitation, would be released by Mr. Revanth Reddy on the occasion. He hoped that the film would infuse new zeal in the fight against privatisation of VSP.
VUPPC leader D. Adinarayana, Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao, J. Ayodhyaram and Ganapathi Rao said that steel workers have been agitating for the past 1,126 days.
