Visakha Steel Plant labour unions, who met deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan at Visakhapatnam seeking his intervention to protect the plant from privatization move, have admitted that during the previous government the then Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy had proposed to sell out the Plant.
They were responding to Pawan Kalyan’s direct question ‘Is it true what the then Chief Minister proposed before you to sell the Visakha Steel Plant lands?’ However, Deputy Chief Minister said that the sacrifices made for the establishment of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant should not be forgotten and the sentiment to save the industry should be in the workers, employees and their unions.
He said there are 12,500 employees and 14,000 contract workers. Pawan Kalyan said that the proposals made by employees, workers and land dwellers will be taken to the attention of the Center to save the industry. He recalled that when the idea of privatizing the plant came up, we talked to the Centre.
He said that if his proposal for an all-party delegation was accepted at that time, the situation would be different.
“Visakha Steel Plant is an industry established with the sacrifice of 32 people, the sacrifices of 16,000 displaced people and the acquisition of 24,000 acres of land. No one should forget the sacrifices made by so many for this industry”, he asserted.
Pawan Kalyan made it clear that everyone who works in the plant, as well as the leaders of labor and trade unions should have the emotion to protect the industry formed by their sacrifices. “Similarly, we should know the problems from our side and correct them,”, he added.
He discussed with them about the details to be informed to the central government and prepared a report. On this occasion, he explained how he saved the dredging corporation from being privatized.
Pawan Kalyan discussed with the leaders of the labor unions about the main proposals to save Visakhapatnam steel. On this occasion, four main proposals were given.
1. Visakha should allocate its own mines to the steel industry.
2. Working capital should be provided. Or merge into SAIL.
3. Or Visakha Steel should be merged into Nagarnar Steel Plant of NMDC.
4. Visakha Steel should be taken from non-strategic plan to strategic plan.
