Naidu, Pawan betraying Steel Plant workers

Vishakapatnam, August 21: Visakhapatnam City YSRCP President KK Raju strongly condemned the ongoing attempts to privatize the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, asserting that former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy played a pivotal role in halting such efforts during his tenure. He highlighted that YS Jagan successfully prevented privatization, passed a resolution in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly opposing it, and even wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging against the move. 
Under YSRCP’s leadership, numerous agitations and struggles were waged to safeguard the plant and its workforce, placing the interests of thousands of workers and their families at the forefront.
Raju criticised Chief Minister Naidu  and Dy. CM Pawan Kalyan for betraying the steel plant workers through deceptive promises. Before the elections, they assured that privatization would not occur, yet after assuming power, they have compromised the workers’ dignity and self-respect by allowing the process to advance. Raju questioned the accountability of Naidu and Kalyan, demanding, “Is it not the responsibility of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to intervene and stop the privatization of 32 critical departments in the plant?”
Emphasizing actionable solutions, Raju called for an immediate Assembly resolution against privatization to be sent to the Central Government, the allocation of dedicated mines to the steel plant for self-sufficiency, and its merger into the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to ensure long-term stability. He urged the government to withdraw the privatization decision without delay, warning that further delays would erode public trust and exacerbate the plight of affected families.
Raju declared that YSRCP stands firmly with the steel plant workers in their fight, promising full support for ongoing and future protests. To chart the path ahead, he announced plans to convene a meeting with leaders from all labor unions to discuss a comprehensive action plan, underscoring the need for unity to protect this vital public asset and the livelihoods it sustains.