RINL disinvestment protest in a Gandhian manner reaches 1,000 days
The agitation included a dharna by 2,000 people and a rasta roko near Kurmannapalem Junction, along with a dawn-to-dusk educational institution bandh across AP
image for illustrative purpose
Visakhapatnam Staging of dharna by 2,000 people and a rasta roko near Kurmannapalem Junction and an enforcement of dawn to dusk educational institution bandh all over Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday marked the observing of 1,000th day of protests by the trade unions of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant against the decision to privatise the PSU.
The unions achieved a record of sorts when their Gandhian style agitation against the Centre’s decision for handing over the State’s largest public entity and the biggest industry to the private hands by way of 100 per cent stake sale entered 1,000th day on Wednesday morning.
“The agitation comprising gate meetings, wearing black flags and organising rallies and dharnas along with relay hunger strike at the Kurmannapalem junction in the industrial area has drawn the attention of many. Till date, the agitation has remained violence-free The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the disinvestment proposal on January 27, 2021,” Visakha Steel Employees’ Congress president Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao said.
According to trade union sources, RINL since its inception has contributed Rs 54,000 crore in the form of various taxes. It has provided direct and indirect jobs to nearly one lakh. Its machinery and land is valued at Rs 3 lakh crore. Despite their steel resolve of the employees, the decision to privatise RINL and India’s first shore-based integrated steel plant set up after an agitation under the banner of ‘Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku’ agitation claimed 32 lives across two Telugu-speaking States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has not been shelved.
However, BJP MP and national spokesman GVL Narsimha Rao has been claiming that the decision has been ‘paused’ recognising the inner strengths of RINL and the sentiments of people of Telugus, who consider the steel plant as ‘Andhra’s pride’ due to its historic background.
“We will accept anything except total withdrawal of disinvestment decisions like what happened in the case of Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL),” AITUC national vice-president D. Adinarayana, told Bizz Buzz. DCIL after the disinvestment decision, was subsequently handed over to a consortium comprising four government-owned major ports to retain its strategic control selling off the government’s holding in the company for an amount of about Rs 1050 crore.
The election-eve declaration by Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah in Chhattisgarh declared that they will withdraw the decision for disinvestment of Nagarnar Steel Plant near Jagdalpur, owned by NMDC, another public sector under the Ministry of Steel, has set off speculation that RINL may also face such good fortune in the coming days. General elections in AP are scheduled early next year.
