Farm union leaders to raise steel plant issue at all meetings with Centre

‘Union government failed to give captive mines to the VSP’

Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, All India Kisan Sabha president Ashok Dhawale and others blowing the conch at the Rythu Karnika Sankharavam in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait and All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) national president Ashok Dhawale have announced that they will raise the issue of continuation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant(VSP) in the public sector at all their meetings with the Centre along with the farmers issues.

The two national leaders along with All India Kisan Sangarsh State Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) State convener Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham national president B. Venkat and others participated in the Rythu Karmika Sankharavam on Beach Road here on Sunday evening.

The leaders said that the Centre had failed to give captive mines to the VSP, which was resulting in high production cost. The investment of the Centre in the VSP was only ₹5,000 crore but it had contributed several times of that amount to the Centre and State in the form of duties and taxes. They demanded that the Centre come out with an answer on why it had written off ₹6 lakh crore owed by private companies.

Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee leaders Ch. Narasinga Rao, D. Adinarayana, Mantri Rajasekhar and J. Ayodhya Ram participated in the meeting.

Earlier, a huge rally was taken out from the Park Hotel Junction to the venue of the meeting on Beach Road.