Trade unions stage protest

They urge TDP to mae it stand clear on the issue

RINL employees staging a dharna at Ukkunagaram in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

CITU and AITUC on Thursday strongly condemned the Centre’s bid to go ahead with disinvestment of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL).

On receipt of news on the statement of Union Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai on disinvestment, both the unions separately staged dharna at Ukkunagaram.

“It is unfortunate that after Hindustan Zinc Limited, Dredging Corporation of India now there are efforts to offload the government’s equity in RINL, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant,” CITU leader J. Ayodhyaram said. He told

The Hindu that the Telugu Desam Party Government must clarify its stand on RINL disinvestment.

CPI (M) city secretary B. Ganga Rao said they would bring pressure on the TDP Government to stop RINL disinvestment by the BJP-led NDA Government.

Retrograde step

Describing it as a retrograde step, he said RINL had a bright future and the delay in allotment of captive mines by both the Central and State governments had pushed the company to losses. He also said disinvestment of 10% as proposed by the Centre would ultimately lead to 100% privatisation of RINL like DCI.

AITUC national council member Venkata Rao said their members staged a protest at Ukkunagaram in protest against the latest move and said the employees would stand united against any attempt to privatise RINL.