A rally was taken out from Siripuram to Circuit House Junction, where Union Minister of State for Steel Faggan Singh Kulaste is staying, to protest against his visit to the city, even as the Union government, has put up the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant(VSP) for ‘strategic sale’, here on Saturday.
The rally was organised under the aegis of All Party Trade Unions and People’s Organisations JAC against the visit of the Steel Minister. The participants raised slogans ‘Go back Steel Minister’ and ‘Stop sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.’
Addressing the participants of the rally at Circuit House Junction, CITU State secretary and JAC chairman M. Jaggu Naidu recalled that 32 persons had laid down their lives for the establishment of the steel plant in Visakhapatnam on the demand ‘Visakha Ukku, Andhrula Hakku.’
A total of 16,500 displaced persons of 64 villages had given 22,000 acres of land for the steel plant. At that time, 64 people’s representatives, belonging to the Left as also other parties had resigned to their posts for the cause of the steel plant. He wondered as to who has given the right to the Prime Minister to put up VSP, which was achieved after several sacrifices, for sale.
‘Supplied oxygen’
The CITU leader said that the VSP was providing employment to around one lakh people, directly and indirectly. It had paid ₹53,000 crore in the form of taxes and dividends to the Centre. It had also supplied Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) to various States, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak and helped in saving the lives of thousands of patients.
Decrying the adamant attitude of the Union government for failing to repeal its decision on strategic sale of VSP though the steel workers have been continuously organising relay hunger strikes and agitation programmes for the past one year, the CITU leader called upon the people to teach a lesson to the BJP government, which has no respect for public opinion.
He demanded that the Steel Minister set foot in Visakhapatnam only after the decision on strategic sale of VSP was repealed.
CITU city general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar, JAC leaders including CFTUI national president N. Kanaka Rao, Public Sector Coordination Committee leader K.M. Kumara Mangalam, Shramika Mahila Coordination Committee leaders P. Mani and K. Kumari. CFTUI city secretary P. Venkatalakhsmi, KVPS city general secretary R.P.s Raju, District Muta Karmika Sangham general secretary M. Subba Rao and leaders of Port and Dock Employees’ Unions were among those who participated.
