VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee, spearheading the agitation against privatisation of Vizag Steel further intensified the stir on Sunday with hundreds of people, including steel plant workers, leaders and activists of political parties, VSP land oustees, and their family members including children and women participating in 10 km long 'Maha Manava Haram' from Aganampudi to Akkireddypalem in Visakhapatnam.
The human chain was organised to mark the completion of 200 days of the agitation which was launched after DIPAM gave its approval for 100 percent strategic disinvestment of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (Vizag Steel)
Even before the scheduled start of the human chain, people in large numbers were on the roads all along the 10 km route of the human chain. They raised slogans against privatisation of the steel plant and also the BJP government. In view of the maha human chain police made elaborate arrangements to regulate the traffic
Leaders belonging to TDP, YSRC, Jana Sena, left parties and trade unions participated in the human chain. They denounced the privatisation move by the Centre and said they will fight for the protection of the steel plant.
Anakapalle MP B Satyavati said that all MPs from the State will strive for the protection of the steel plant. She said they will collect signatures of 100 MPs against the privatisation. She said the state government will extend full support to oustees and workers of the steel plant.
Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana was stopped by some of the participants on his way to participate in the human chain, demanding him to resign from his post to bring pressure on the Government to roll back the decision to privatise Vizag Steel.
Porata committee leaders said the Central government was deliberately pushing the profit-making steel plant into losses. They said if captive mines were allocated to the steel plant they would achieve the highest growth of the plant and it can be expanded to 12.3 million tonnes production capacity from the present 7.3 million tonnes capacity.
They said that still 8000 oustees were yet to be given jobs in the plant. They will not let anyone take over the plant. They said they will bring down the BJP government if it goes ahead with the privatisation of the steel plant which was set up following the sacrifices of people.