Hundreds of workers of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VP), representatives of trade unions and people’s organisations gathered at Kurmannapalem and expressed their resolve to prevent privatisation of the plant, even as the relay hunger strike being organised by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee continued for the 250th day on Tuesday.
To mark the occasion, 250 members sat on a 25-hour hunger strike that began at 8 a.m.
VSP’s former Director (Operations) K.K. Rao visited the protest camp and recalled his participation in the agitation seeking establishment of the steel plant in 1966.
Commending the steadfast commitment of the workers to save VSP, Mr. Rao hoped that they would succeed ultimately.
Vice-Chancellor of Centurion University G.S.N. Raju said the slogan ‘Visakha Ukku – Andhrula Hakku’ had struck a chord when the agitation was at its peak.
“VSP, the only shore-based steel plant in the country, can compete with other plants if captive mines are allocated to it,” he said.
Rally on November 1
CPI(M) State Secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao, while recalling the police firing on the agitators near the Old Head Post Office area on November 1, 1966, said a rally would be taken out from Mrs. A.V.N. College to the Old Head Post Office junction to mark the 55th anniversary of the incident on November 1.
As a part of intensifying the agitation, all the panchayats, municipalities and corporations would adopt a resolution against the Centre’s decision on strategic sale of the VSP, Mr. Narasinga Rao said.
“If the BJP-led government at the Centre is allowed to have its way, the day is not far off when other PSUs will be handed over to the corporates,” he said, and called for a united struggle against the Union government’s policies.
MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana said he would continue to support the agitation against sale of VSP in every possible way.
CPI State assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy, porata committee chairmen Adinarayana and Mantri Rajasekhar, and CPI(M) corporator B. Ganga Rao spoke.
MLAs Tippala Nagireddy and Golla Babu Rao, JSP leader Kona Tata Rao, former Minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, former MLAs Palla Srinivas and Chintalapudi Venkataramaiah visited the camp and expressed thier solidarity.
