VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee leaders, who are in Delhi to mobilise support from various leaders for the steel plant agitation, along with YSRC MP Vijayasai Reddy and CPI parliamentary party leader Vinaya Visawam met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi on Friday.
Urging the FM to reconsider the decision to privatise the steel plant, they said over 65,000 employees are dependent on the steel plant and over 8,000 displaced persons are yet to be given employment in the steel plant.
They also brought to her notice that the steel plant will earn profits if captive mines are allocated to it.
On the second-day of their visit to Delhi, the committee leaders also met CPM floor leader in Rajya Sabha Elamaram Kareem, Trinamool Congress leader Sudeep Bandhopadyay, steel consultative committee member Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, Telangana Congress leader Revanth Reddy, and former Union ministers Mallikharjuna Kharge and JD Seelam to solicit their support.
Addressing the leaders, Kharge said there was a big conspiracy behind the plan to sell the profit-making steel plant so as to hand it over to corporates on a platter. He said they will oppose the government plans.
The porata committee leaders urged the national leaders to oppose the privatisation move in Parliament and also extend solidarity to the proposed protest programme by hundreds of steelworkers in Delhi on August 2 and 3.
In Parliament
Nod for Vizianagaram-Bhadrak railway line proposed in 2015-16 railway budget was yet to be given, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said in a reply to MP Vijayasai Reddy. He added there would be no escalation of the project cost.