Visakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation issue takes centre stage in Gajuwaka Assembly segment

Visakhapatnam residents disappointed as PM Modi avoids VSP privatization issue, impacting upcoming elections in Gajuwaka Assembly segment.

The people of Visakhapatnam in general and those from the industrial belt of Gajuwaka in particular, who eagerly awaited the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his public meeting in Anakapalli on May 6, were disappointed as he conveniently skirted the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatisation issue.

The steel plant is located in the Gajuwaka Assembly segment in Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency. This Assembly segment alone has 3,27,438 voters, the second highest in the State after Bheemunipatnam, which has 3,56,481 electors. A vast majority of the workers and executives of VSP, and their families live in Ukkunagaram, Gajuwaka and adjoining areas. Interestingly, this is the only Assembly segment in Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat where male voters outnumber their female counterparts.

For over three years, the decision taken by the Modi government on the “strategic sale of VSP”, has caused considerable disquiet not only among steel plant employees but also all sections of people. The employees launched an indefinite relay hunger strike at Kurmannapalem, and subsequently a relay hunger strike was launched by civil society organisations at the Gandhi statue in the city, demanding revocation of the decision.

The employees are still taking turns to continue the hunger strike even as they attend to their duties to prevent disruption of work, which would cause losses to the plant. They had persisted with the strike even when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, taking adequate precautions like wearing masks. It’s a different matter that some of the workers succumbed to the virus.

These unfortunate events failed to move the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which stuck to its guns on VSP privatisation. While the ruling YSRCP government and the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) extended support to the strike, they have failed to openly oppose the decision of the Modi government.

On the other hand, the Left parties, Congress and other Opposition parties have openly criticised the Centre over the decision. The Centre has tried all the means at its disposal to go ahead with its decision and appointed various committees for the purpose. However, striking workers put up stiff resistance and prevented the members of the committees from entering the plant premises.

As the time for the elections began approaching, BJP leaders in the State started issuing statements that the privatisation of VSP has been put on the back burner. But these statements have not been acknowledged either by Mr. Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah.