Andhra CM Jagan assures support over Vizag steel plant; Unions 'instilled with confidence'

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday reaffirmed his support to the protesting trade unions in Visakhapatnam saying that he had personally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a roadmap for the Vizag steel plant's revival. 

"All the leaders of the unions are fully aware of all the aspects pertaining to the Central Government’s decision and the consequential implications. We all know how 32 people lost their lives and in which situation the plant was set up. The state government is against the privatization of the plant and I have personally written to the PM, suggesting a road map for the revival of the plant while ensuring that it continues to be run by the Government," said the Andhra Pradesh CM during an interaction with the key leaders of the unions at the Visakhapatnam airport. 

Jagan Reddy suggests revival plan 

Last week, Reddy had written a letter to PM Modi requesting the Centre to reconsider its plan of disinvestment of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The CM had suggested a road map for the plant’s revival requesting the Central Government to allocate mines situated in Odisha to the plant. Presently, the Vizag steel plant has a debt of 22,000 crores.

"The plant presently possesses 20 thousand acres of land, out of which only 7 thousand acres are being used at this point in time. The administration of the plant can build layouts on the excess land, sell the same and use the money for injecting a huge amount of money into the plant’s system," he said saying that his government was ready to pass a resolution in the state assembly over the issue. 

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Meanwhile, Jagan Mohan Reddy also hit out at TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu who had alleged that the YSRCP leader had never written to the PM to save the plant. "Them alleging that a letter by a CM to the PM of the country, which is in the public domain was never written in the first place, speaks volumes about their levels of IQ. If needed, I request you to send the acknowledgement of the letter to Mr Chandra Babu Naidu. All these individuals who are levelling such scandalous and false allegations today, couldn’t even think of writing a letter to the PM," he said. 

The Chief Minister has also promised to continue holding talks at the government and bureaucratic level urging other BJP leaders in Andhra Pradesh to help in convincing the Central leadership. 

Following this, leaders of the trade unions have given a statement over their interaction with the CM for that went on for 90 minutes. 

Trade Union Leaders 'instilled with confidence'

The Trade Union leaders informed,  "The CM patiently heard us out over an hour and a half. He assured that the Government and YSRCP is with the unions on this issue and would pass a resolution in the state assembly. While accepting that the meeting with representatives of POSCO, the steel manufacturing company did take place, the CM cleared all the doubts regarding the company coming to Visakhapatnam. He said that the company was invited to Kadapa , not Visakhapatnam and that discussions pertaining to the Bhavanapadu and Krishnapatnam ports were also undertaken during the meet. ‘ POSCO will not come to Visakhapatnam at any cost', the CM said, we thank him for saying this"

They added, "The CM also told us that he has already suggested a road map for the revival of the plant in a letter to the PM and that the state government is ready to execute the same. He assured us that the state government and the YSRCP will support us in this movement until the central government responds positively and decides against the privatization of the plant. The workers of the plant feel assured, post listening to the CM and his satisfactory promises. He said that attempts to get a captive iron ore which is situated in Odisha allocated to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant are on. This meeting with the CM has instilled us with confidence that the Union will concede to our demands, apart from injecting new life into our movement. He assured us that Government will walk hand in hand with the unions in order to save the plant."

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