Jana Sena chief and deputy chief minister K Pawan Kalyan had promised to work with the employees of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant to protect the steel plant from being privatized. He told them that he would lead a delegation to the Central government to stop privatization of the steel plant.
The employees and trade union leaders of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant met the deputy chief minister at his camp office in Mangalagiri on Sunday evening. The employees explained how the steel plant was established and how it had made profits over the years. They also explained to the deputy chief minister how the present government had proposed to privatise the steel plant.
Responding to the trade union leaders, Pawan Kalyan said that he had tried earlier to represent the issue with the Central government. He wanted the employees also to come with him as joint action committee. However, he said that the employees did not show interest to join him three years ago.
He wanted the employees to prepare a detailed letter now and come back to him. He said he would take a delegation to the Central government and give the letter to the government. He emphasized the need to protect the steel plant from being privatized. He told them that he would stand with the employees and see that the steel plant is not privatized.
The employees told them that there are 12,500 employees and 14,000 contract employees working in the steel plant. Thousands of families are depending on it, they said. The wanted the deputy chief minister to intervene and ensure that the steel plant is not privatized.
Pawan Kalyan said that he had already met some ministers in the Central government and communicated to them against privatization. He also told them that he had explained the need to continue steel plant in the public sector to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He asked the employees to join him in the delegation next time.
He also wanted to know whether the previous chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed the sale of steel plant land to stop its privatization. The employees to him that the former chief minister had proposed the sale of land. He said that this government would not sell the land, but would protect the steel plant.
