Visakhapatnam: Demonstrations held to mark 2-yr-long hunger strike

Visakhapatnam: Marking the completion of two years of initiation of the relay hunger strike camp staged against strategic sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, demonstrations were held in the city on Saturday. The protest was held under the aegis of Visakha District Karmika, Praja Sanghala and Prabhuthva Ranga Samsthala Parirakshana Committee, All-Party Labour Unions and Student Unions of Visakha District. Their representatives demanded the Union government to continue VSP in the public sector unit and women groups participated in large numbers.

A rally was held from GVMC Gandhi Statue to RTC Complex junction. It was followed by a public meeting. Speaking on the occasion, AITUC national vice president D Adinarayana said with self-sufficiency, the VSP had a highly skilled labour force. While the government is favouring the corporate sector without revaluing the net worth of the company, it is unfair to try to build a Rs 3 lakh crore plant at the lowest price of Rs 33,000 crore to the private companies, he mentioned.

Recruitment of permanent manpower in place of retired personnel, allocation of captive mines, withdrawal of privatisation of the plant were some of the measures demanded by the protesters. An army of trade union leaders, including Ch Narsinga Rao, Jaggu Naidu, G Nagabhushan, D Appa Rao, P Ramana, V Rammohan Kumar, among others participated. Representatives from AITUC, CITU, INTUC, HMS, CFTUI, IFTU, TNTUC, YSRTUC, PDF Women Associations, AISF, DYFI and other organisations participated in the public meeting.