VUPPC take up 25-hour hunger strike to mark 250 days of agitation
The Hindu
The agitation would be intensified by involving all panchayats, municipalities and corporations in the State
Hundreds of workers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), representatives of trade unions and people’s organisations gathered at Kurmannapalem and expressed their firm resolve to prevent privatisation of VSP as the relay hunger strikes, being organised by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee, continued for the 250th day on Tuesday. To mark the occasion, 250 members sat on a 25-hour hunger strike that began at around 8 a.m. at the ‘sibiram’ (camp) at Kurmannapalem on Tuesday.
K.K. Rao, a former Director (Operations) of VSP, who visited the protest camp, recalled that he had also participated in the agitation for establishment of the steel plant in Visakhapatnam in 1966. He expressed shock that such a plant was being privatised. Commending the steadfast commitment of the workers to save VSP, he expressed optimism that they would succeed ultimately. He also promised to do whatever he could to save the steel plant.