VISAKHAPATNAM: A 25-hour relay hunger strike by 250 steel plants employees got underway at Kurmannapalem Junction on Tuesday. Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee, which has been spearheading the agitation against 100 percent strategic divestment of RINL, is organising the relay fast to mark the 250th day of its agitation on Tuesday.
Vice-chancellor of Centurion University GSN Raju and former director of VSP KK Rao inaugurated the hunger strike camp. There has been a beehive of activity as a large number of employees, union leaders and political leaders thronged the camp venue. Speaking on the occasion, prof GSN Raju urged the Centre to revisit the decision to privatise the steel plant which has been providing livelihood to thousands of families.
MP MVV Satyanarayana said he raised the issue of privatisation of the steel plant in the Lok Sabha and will continue to support the porata committee and its agitation. MLAs Tippala Nagi Reddy and Golla Babu Rao said the state assembly adopted a resolution against the privatisation. He said the state government was trying to exert pressure on the Centre. Former minister and senior TDP leader Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and party Visakhapatnam president Palla Srinivas criticised the Modi government for trying to privatise the steel plant. CPM Chittoor district secretary OV Ramana said the party would extend their full support to the agitation.
Corporators B Ganga Rao, D Govinda Reddy, B Jagan, Mutyala Naidu and R Srinivas said the GVMC adopted a resolution against the privatisation and sent it to the state government.Porata committee leaders Ch Narasinga Rao, D Adinarayana said they will intensify the agitation in all 13 districts by forming branches of the porata committee.President of recognised steel plant union J Ayodhya Ram said unlike other PSUs, the VSp agitation against privatisation received support from all sections of people.