GVMC council witnesses heated arguments over privatisation of VSP
YSRCP corporators demand resolution against the privatisation move
Visakhapatnam: Heated arguments exchanged between the ruling party and Opposition members at Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation council meeting over the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) here on Friday.
YSR Congress Party corporators protested against the Expressions of Interest (EOI) announced by the Central government recently to handover crucial departments of the VSP to private agencies.
They demanded a resolution against the privatisation of the VSP. YSRCP corporators attended the council meeting wearing black dresses and raised slogans against the NDA government for its concrete move to privatise the plant in a phased manner. The YSRCP corporators staged a sit-in protest in front of the GVMC office demanding the protection of the VSP and withdrawal of the privatisation decision.
Holding placards and raising slogans, the YSRCP, CPI and CPM corporators expressed anger over the Union government’s decisions against the VSP and surrounded the Mayor’s podium.
Raising slogans like ‘save steel plant’, they demanded a resolution in the council on the issue.
The YSRCP council members alleged that during their government’s tenure, resolutions were passed in the GVMC and Assembly to save the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and sent to the Central Government.
The coalition government is weakening the steel plant after it came to power. When they demanded that the issue should be included in the agenda, Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao agreed.
The council demanded that the Central government should cancel the 100 percent strategic sale of the VSP announced in 2021. The announcement of tenders given to 34 departments for EoI should be cancelled. The council approved the move of the Opposition corporators, including YSRCP, CPI and CPM, in the GVMC.
Apart from this, a resolution was passed in the GVMC Council to stop the privatisation of the steel plant.
The ruling party MLAs., who were present at the meeting, assured the council that there was no need to worry about the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant as it will not happen. Later, detailed discussions were held on public issues ward wise.
