Will resign and join the protest if Vizag steel plant is shutdown, says Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao

Will resign and join the protest if Vizag steel plant is shutdown, says Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao. The closing down of two of the three blast furnaces is a cause for concern, but the Central and State governments are seriously thinking about the issue, and a revival package is on the cards, say Srinivasa Rao and Visakhapatnam MP Sribharat.

Gajuwaka TDP legislator and party State president Palla Srinivasa Rao has said he will resign as MLA if the situation of shutting of RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (RINL-VSP) arises.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao, along with Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M. Sribharat, on September 14 (Saturday), visited the venue, where leaders and activists of the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) continued their protest for the 1,311th day against the “deplorable condition of the plant,” on the steel plant premises under Gajuwaka Assembly constituency limits here.

After meeting the leaders and activists, Mr. Srinivasa Rao and Mr. Sribharat interacted with the media.

“We have come to the protest venue after knowing about the deplorable condition of the plant following the shutting down of two of the thee three blast furnaces. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is seriously thinking about the issue. We have faith in the governments’ assurance on the plant’s revival package. We have asked the leaders not to worry,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.

“I have also told the leaders that I will resign as MLA and join them in their protest if the situation arises,” he added.

Mr. Sribharat said he had apprised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of the steel plant’s financial position, and that she responded positively. The Union Minister of Steel was also mulling all possible measures to revive the steel plant, the MP said.

“It is a concern for anyone if the steel plant runs with only one blast furnace out of three. There is nothing wrong with their concern. We can understand their pain, and even we also feel the same. However, we strongly believe that the government will save the steel plant at any cost, and will also announce a revival package soon, but it is not yet clear what the value of the package will be. We hope the conditions will be favourable for all of us,” M.r Sribharat said.