VIJAYAWADA: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has announced a series of protests across Andhra Pradesh to address critical issues, including the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), fertiliser shortages, the Budameru flood crisis, and inadequate BC reservations.
CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna, speaking after a State executive meeting chaired by R Ravindranath in Vijayawada, outlined the party’s action plan.
On September 4, an all-party meeting in Visakhapatnam will rally political parties, people’s organisations, and trade unions to oppose VSP’s privatisation.
Ramakrishna criticised the central government’s intensified efforts, including the termination of 300 contract workers and plans to remove 1,017 permanent employees, alongside tendering 42 plant sections to private entities by September 10.
He accused the State government of inaction despite Andhra Pradesh’s historical struggle for VSP, marked by 32 lives lost.
To address the ongoing fertiliser crisis, where farmers face shortages of urea and DAP, often sold at inflated black-market prices (` 180 extra for urea, `200 for DAP), CPI plans statewide dharnas at mandal centers on September 8, demanding regularised supply.
On September 11, a dharna in Vijayawada will press for immediate action on “Operation Budameru,” highlighting the government’s failure to secure central funds for flood-affected areas a year after the disaster.
CPI will also organise a major meeting in mid-September to demand 42% BC reservations in local body jobs, inspired by Telangana’s model.
Separately, in a letter to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Ramakrishna urged the State government to procure onions at `2,500 per quintal to support Kurnool’s drought-affected farmers, who face severe losses due to low market prices (`500-600 per quintal against ` 1,50,000 per acre cultivation cost).