VSP privatisation on hold: First victory for AP BRS, says Thota Chandrasekhar

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s move to send a Singareni officials’ team to VSP for studying the Expression of Interest (EOI), made the union government to temporarily put its plans on hold, Thota Chandrasekhar said

Hyderabad: Welcoming the union government’s reported decision to put the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatization plans on hold, Andhra Pradesh BRS chief Thota Chandrasekhar said it was the first victory for the BRS in the State.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s move to send a Singareni officials’ team to VSP for studying the Expression of Interest (EOI), made the union government to temporarily put its plans on hold, he said.

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Addressing media persons here on Thursday, Thota Chandrasekhar said the pressure exerted by BRS, both politically and administrative wise, in opposing the VSP privatization plans, yielded desired results.

“As a means to thank Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, VSP employees have appealed to us to organize a Vijayotsava Sabha in Vizag,” he said.

Though the ruling YSRCP and the opposition Telugu Desam party had given up their hopes, the BRS stood by the VSP workers and employees’ unions. This victory had proved that only the BRS fights and saves the interests of Telugu people, he said.

The Chief Minister has been vehemently opposing the BJP government’s plans to privatize Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in the guise of disinvestments. He had even warned the union government, if it had gone ahead with VSP privatization plans, the Telangana government would bid for the steel plant and get it back from private companies, reminded Chandrasekhar.

Similarly, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao had written letters to the union government opposing the VSP privatization plans. A few days ago, the Minister had also exposed the union government’s conspiracies in handing over the Bailadila mining contract to Adani group, the AP BRS chief said.

The AP BRS was not content with the union government’s decision to temporarily put the plans on hold. No such attempts should be made in the future and to this effect, the union government should give an assurance to the Telugu people, he demanded.

Thota Chandrasekhar also demanded the union government to handover the VSP’s 20,000 acres to RINL as it would help in raising loans for the plant. This apart, Rs.5000 crore should be sanctioned to VSP either through loans or assistance to bail out from immediate challenges, he demanded.