Members of the Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation Joint Action Committee and Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Plant Station(SDSTPS) Protection Committee staged a demonstration at the unit’s main gate at Nelatur, near Nellore, on January 2(Saturday) in protest against the State government’s decision to privatise the public sector power plant.
Leading the stir, which completed one year on Saturday, the committee Convenor M. Mohan Rao asserted that they will not rest till the Jagan Mohan Reddy government takes back the State Cabinet decision to hand over the operation and maintenance of the plant to a private player.
Amid slogans ‘Save SDSTPS, Save APGENCO’, a massive human chain was formed by APGENCO employees, trade union activists as also activists of the Telugu Desam Party, Jana Sena Party, Communist Party of India(CPI) and CPI(M).
APGENCO Engineers Association leader Gummalla Srinivasulu said the power generated at the super critical thermal power plant was highly competitive when compared to other public sector power plants.
It may be noted that the Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Limited had on November 22 called for bids from prospective private players to carry out the O&M services, including fuel management for 3 x 800 of SDSTPS.
Telugu Desam Party’s Prakasam district general secretary Ch. Venkateswar Reddy said it was unfortunate that the State government was bent upon stopping popular stirs by promulgating G.O. No.1. All parties should come together to unseat the “undemocratic” government, said Jana Sena Party leader district secretary K. Kishore.
CPI(M) district secretary M. Ramesh said all sections of people should vehemently oppose the plant privatisation as it would lead to hefty hike in power tariff.
Centre of Indian Trade Unions District Secretary Gogula Srinivasulu said the contract workers were faced with bleak future.
COMMents
SHARE