VIJAYAWADA: Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh has made it clear that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) will not be privatised, and the TDP-JSP-BJP combine has clarity on it.
Participating in a short discussion in the AP Legislative Council on Tuesday, Lokesh introduced a resolution, thanking the Centre for safeguarding the steel plant. The HRD Minister urged the Legislative Council to approve the resolution unanimously.
When YSRCP MLC Varudu Kalyani raised the issue, and demanded that the TDP withdraw support to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Lokesh faulted her, stating that VSP suffered injustice during the previous regime.
It led to a verbal duel between the treasury benches and the opposition with Leader of the Opposition Botcha Satyanarayana faulting Lokesh for using objectionable language against a woman member.
Lokesh clarified that he had not uttered any objectionable words against Kalyani.
YSRCP has no clarity over VSP issue: Lokesh
Lokesh sought to know why former minister Botcha remained silent when his mother Nara Bhuvaneswari was humiliated on the floor of the Assembly when the YSRCP was in power.
Asserting that the coalition government is committed to protecting VSP, Lokesh said YSRCP members are yet to get a clarity on the issue despite the government’s affirmation time and again that the steel plant will not be privatised. He informed the House that the VSP production capacity was enhanced to 80% from 48%.
Maintaining that they are not going to the national capital for their own cases, and only pursuing the matters related to the State, Lokesh made it clear that the support of the TDP is unconditional to the NDA in the interests of the nation. “We will not conflict with the Union government. We will discuss and resolve the issues related to the State amicably,” he asserted.
Countering the charge of Botcha that the government was allotting land to industries at throwaway prices, Lokesh said he would quit his post if the YSRCP proved that Ursa company was allotted land at a token price of Rs 1 per acre. TCS and Cognizant will provide 25,000 jobs each, and the two firms have been allotted lands at a token price of Rs 1 per acre, he explained.
Despite objections raised by the treasury benches, Botcha introduced a resolution, urging the Government of India, and the Ministry of Steel to withdraw the 100% VSP strategic disinvestment plan. The resolution also sought allotment of captive iron ore mines for VSP, financial restructuring, and long-term sustainability measures to protect the steel plant.
Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav suggested that the YSRCP withdraw its resolution, but Botcha firmly rejected it. Council Chairman Koyye Moshen Raju announced that the YSRCP’s resolution seeking withdrawal of strategic disinvestment proposal, and the TDP’s resolution thanking the Centre for protecting VSP were adopted.