All Party Trade Unions JAC stages rasta rokos at various places in Visakhapatnam in protest against the decision on privatisation of VSP

Trade union leaders arrested during State-wide protests against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant demand immediate release.

A tense situation prevailed as trade union leaders were arrested after they staged rasta rokos, as part of the State-wide protests, holding up traffic at Kurmannapalem junction, Gajuwaka, Maddilapalem and on the RTC Complex Main Road, against privatisation and demanding merger of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) with SAIL, on Tuesday (September 10).

At Kurmannapalem, CITU State secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao, GVMC 78th Ward corporator B. Ganga Rao and union leader M. Rama Rao were among those who were arrested.

Condemning the arrests, CITU district general secretary RKSV Kumar recalled that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan had assured the steel workers before the elections that they would prevent privatisation of VSP, if they were voted to power. Both of them had failed to exert pressure on the Centre to revoke its decision on privatisation of VSP, even though three months had passed after they assumed power.

He also alleged that clandestine efforts were being made to shut down the plant by reducing the production capacity and number of workers. The State government was resorting to illegal arrests of the union leaders, he said and demanded immediate release of the arrested leaders.

The protests were organised as part of the State-wide ‘rasta roko’ call given by the All Party Trade Unions JAC against privatisation of the public sector Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and demanding its merger with Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), allocation of ₹10,000 crore as working capital. They also demanded running the plant to its full capacity and justice to all the displaced persons of VSP.

At RTC Complex junction, the union leaders demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan and BJP State president D. Purandeswari should exert pressure on the Centre against privatisation of VSP, in tune with the assurances given by them before the elections.

The police had a tough time in removing the trade union leaders, who squatted on the main road.