After Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman vowed to fully privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), protests have erupted in Andhra Pradesh. Thousands of VSP workers protested in Vizag in front of the steel plant gate. Roads got blocked, traffic came to a grinding halt and effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy were burnt at Ukkunagaram, opposing the Centre’s decision on disinvestment of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Amid all this, CM Reddy has written to Prime Minister Modi, seeking an appointment to explain and convince him to stall the sale process.
“I request you to kindly give me an appointment to explain all the options as narrated above, to revive and put RINL, Visakhapatnam back on track,” wrote Reddy. He offered to bring an all-party delegation including the representatives of trade unions to represent their concerns directly to PM Modi.
Panicked by Sitharaman’s categorical clarification in Parliament on Monday, the CM sought PM Modi’s early appointment and reminded of his letter a month ago. Reddy recalled the suggestions he doled out to the PM and also the Union minister of steel to revive the steel plant and make it strong financially.