Demand to allot captive mines for VSP

Visakhapatnam: CITU state general secretary CH Narasinga Rao demanded that the Central and State governments should understand the need for alloting own captive mines for Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

At a public meeting held against privatisation of the VSP at the relay hunger strike camp here on Tuesday, Narasinga Rao said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is asking the Central government to allocate mines to the steel plant of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel at Nakkapalli that too at the initial stage itself. But he wondered what were the objections to putting pressure on the Centre for allocating own mines for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

He criticised the NDA government for deceiving the people by announcing packages to protect the VSP. Speaking on the occasion, state executive member K Lokanatham called for intensifying the agitation of the VSP.

Meanwhile, INTUC leaders staged a dharna demanding immediate release of pending salaries. Under the leadership of INTUC secretary general Mantri Rajasekhar, the protesters raised slogans against the Union government.

Speaking in support of the employees, Rajasekhar questioned how the families of the VSP could survive without receiving salaries for consecutive months.

The INTUC leaders demanded the Steel Minister to intervene in the issue and find a permanent solution. Visakha Steel Employee’s Congress representatives PV Ramana Murthy, BN Raju, M Gopi Narayana Rao, were present.