Unions readying for Delhi protest on Aug 2

Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation issue is hotting up even as the Andhra Pradesh High Court has commenced hearing plea against the Centre's decision to sell Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) on the basis of a PIL filed by a former IPS officer.

The unions are making elaborate arrangements for a protest in a big way at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 2 and 3. The high court recently allowed the Centre some more time to file a counter. In a tweet, VV Lakshmi Narayana, former IPS officer who served CBI as the Joint Director, said the PIL against privatisation of VSP *RINL) came up for hearing and on the request of the Union of India it is posted to August 2. In the PIL, Narayana termed as unjust the decision to privatise RINL, the corporate entity of VSP, its subsidiaries and joint ventures as per January 27 in-principle decision of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for disinvestment of Government of India's shareholding by way of privatisation.

On the other hand, the Joint Action Committee of VSP Trade Unions returned to the city on Sunday after camping in New Delhi to garner support to raise the issue in Parliament and pressurise the Centre to drop the privatisation plan. "We already met YSR Congress Parliamentary Party leader V Vijayasai Reddy. He came with us to explain our viewpoint to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Though she did not give any commitment, we are meeting MPs from various non-BJP parties to drum up support to raise the issue in Parliament and also to protest inside and outside the House," JAC chairman D Adinarayana told Bizz Buzz. He alleged that though the assets of VSP will be more than Rs 2 lakh crore, plans are afoot to sell it for Rs 30,000 crore. He said in 1998, when the IPO proposal was made after SEBI clearance to offload 10 percent of government's equity, the valuation put the assets at Rs 22,000 crore. CPI (M) State Secretariat member Ch Narsinga Rao, who is also among three chairmen of JAC, said that there is an attempt to undervalue the assets of RINL and hand it over to private investors on a golden platter. Rao who also went to Delhi to campaign against RINL privatisation said

The JAC leaders also met Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge and others to join the protest planned by them on August 2 and 3 at Jantar Mantar.

In the PIL, Narayana, who unsuccessfully contested as MP on Jana Sena ticket from Visakhapatnam, sought a relook at the privatisation decision and pointed out how VSP is considered as pride of Telugus as it was was achieved after 32 protesters laid down their lives in police firing demanding a steel plant in undivided AP-the first shore-based plant in India. The agitation at that time was spearheaded under the banner of 'Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku."

Along with former CMD of RINL, Y Siva Sagar Rao, Narayana wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi explaining the reasons for the losses of RINL with suggestions like allotment of captive iron ore mines and monetisation of few acres abutting the National Highway to retain the company as a public sector. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has also written two letters requesting Modi to drop the privatisation plan to respect the sentiments of Telugus and explore allotting iron ore blocks in Odisha, converting long term loans into equity and mobilising resources through IPO route.