CITU plans Jail Bharo protests against Vizag steel plant privatisation

Visakhapatnam: Huge protests on Saturday, followed by Jail Bharo programme are planned to mark one-year of agitation against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel plant on Sunday.Thousands of people are expected to take part in the two-day intensive agitation and the struggle would continue till the Central Government withdraws its decision of a strategic sale of […]

Visakhapatnam: Huge protests on Saturday, followed by Jail Bharo programme are planned to mark one-year of agitation against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel plant on Sunday.Thousands of people are expected to take part in the two-day intensive agitation and the struggle would continue till the Central Government withdraws its decision of a strategic sale of Visakhapatnam Steel plant, according to CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao.

“People have been protesting from the day the BJP Government decided to proceed with 100% privatization of government shareholding in Vizag Steel Plant. The BJP government is aggressively proceeding to prioritize the major industries since its coming into regime for the 2nd time. But there has been an inspirational struggle against privatization in Vizag Steel Plant, ” he observed.

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Noting that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is a jewel in the Industrial Crown of Andhra Pradesh, he recalled that it was established with the life sacrifices of 32 people. The only sea shore Steel Plant in India, it was established in 22,000 acres of land with the sacrifices of farmers and producing quality steel of 60 lakh tons per year. It has earned Rs.700 crore profit with Rs.20,000 crore turnover during the past nine months. About 32,000 were working under this plant, he pointed out.

Alleging that the BJP was conspiring to sell this major industry to POSCO company of South Korea, Narasina Rao said that the Korean major used robots and less manpower. “There will not be any social justice in private companies. The development of this area will be paralyzed. People who lost their lands will suffer a lot. There is no other way than fighting against privatization. Our CITU recognized union in Vizag Steel Plant had put efforts in unifying all trade unions. It has formed ‘Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee’ with officers’ associations, contract labour unions along with permanent employees. All trade unions, including BMS, an affiliate of the BJP, formed this committee. Our only agenda is that we will not allow the Vizag Steel Plant to be sold,” he stated.

Pointing out that the only problem of Vizag Steel Plant is that it was not owning any iron mines due to which it incurred an additional expense of around Rs.3,000 crore a year on iron ore, the CITU leader said that while the Centre had allotted own mines to all private and public steel plants and even to Gali Janardhana Reddy who did not own any industry, and also to POSCO company, it did not allot any mines to Vizag steel plant since it wanted to sell into private corporates.

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