Union Minister of State for Steel Srinivasa Varma has once again assured that the Center has no plans to privatize the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Speaking during his visit to Prakasam district on Friday, he said that the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is in loss due to some reasons. However, he described the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant as the most important plant in the country.
The BJP leader said that the sentiments of the people of Andhra Pradesh have been hurt over the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. He reminded that the Center has allocated a financial package of Rs. 11,400 crores to the Steel Plant keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of the state. He said that the Steel Plant has received a special package due to the efforts of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh.
Verma assured that the Center will cooperate in the development of the Steel Plant in the future as well. He said that they are trying to bring the steel plant from loss to profit. He assured the staff of the Plant also that the privatization of this institution will not happen.
In 2019, steps were taken to privatize the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. At that time, the YSRCP government in power in the state could not stop the privatization of this company. Moreover, even the YSRCP MPs never discussed this issue with the Center. In such circumstances, the steel plant employees went on agitations.
Even the then public representatives did not take the initiative to stand by them. Only, once or twice, the leaders of the previous ruling party went on a fast to protest at Visakhapatnam to please the people. However, after coming to power in the 2024 assembly elections, the coalition government led by Chandrababu Naidu started efforts to protect the steel plant.
Moreover, the Center focused special attention on Andhra Pradesh with the participation of the BJP in the alliance. As part of that, huge allocations are being made for the construction of the capital Amaravati and the state’s lifeline Polavaram project. In that order, the Center is moving forward in its own way to stop the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
