VSP lands may be put up for sale as part of NMP-II, opines BV Raghavulu

CPI-M member criticizes Modi government's plan to sell Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, calls for protection and expansion of VSP.

CPI-M Polit Bureau member B. V. Raghavulu has expressed apprehension that the Centre will sell Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) lands as part of its second phase of asset monetisation plans. He was referring to the announcement on the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP-II) at a media conference here on Monday (May 26).

Deploring the adamant attitude of the Modi government to go ahead with its decision on strategic sale of VSP ignoring the agitations by workers and trade unions of all parties, Mr. Raghavulu strongly condemned the termination of contract workers without payment of any compensation to them. Referring to the statements of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that Visakhapatnam region would be developed as a ‘steel hub’, he wondered whether it could be achieved by killing the existing public sector VSP and bringing a new private steel plant.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was talking of India becoming a $5 trillion economy. The steel industry in the country would have a major role to play in achieving it. We demand not only protection of VSP but also its expansion and recruitment of more workers and staff towards achieving the projected demand for steel. He called upon Telugu people to oppose the monetisation of public assets, and to demand allocation of captive mines and further strengthening of VSP.

Mr. Raghavulu ridiculed Mr. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan for neither raising the VSP issue nor the issues concerning AP at the NITI Aayog meeting. While other Opposition-ruled States and even those from BJP-ruled States had sought solutions to issues pertaining to their respective States at the meeting, Mr. Naidu and Mr. Pawan Kalyan were content with heaping lavish praises on the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, who was talking of ‘Viksit Raj (State) and Viksit Bharat’, was not keen on increasing the tax share of States or payment tax arrears to the States. The CPI-M polit bureau member wondered how the States would develop when they were not given a fair share in the tax revenues. Mr. Naidu, who used to talk of following the federal spirit in the past, seems to have forgotten it now. He opined that Mr. Naidu was sacrificing the interests of the State.

Replying to queries, Mr. Raghavulu said that around 1,000 acres of land was enough to build the capital. Mr. Naidu was now going for an additional 55,000 acres of land. This way, another five years would roll by and the problem would be back to square one.

He demanded a halt to ‘Operation Kagar’, and holding of peace talks with the Maoists.