Reaffirming his steadfast support for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and its employees, former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President YY Sreiterated that protecting the public sector steel plant has always been a top priority for his party.
During his visit to Narsipatnam and Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, a delegation of VSP workers met YS Jagan and submitted a memorandum outlining their growing concerns over the plant’s future. The workers alleged that despite making an election promise to safeguard the steel plant, the newly formed TDP-led coalition government had gone back on its word after assuming power.
The employees appealed to YS Jagan to extend his continued support and lead efforts to ensure the plant’s survival, saying that their livelihoods and the pride of Andhra Pradesh were at stake.
Responding to their plea, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the workers that the YSRCP would remain firmly on their side, irrespective of whether the party was in power or in opposition. “Our stance has always been clear — we will not allow the Visakha Steel Plant to be privatized. YSRCP will continue to fight for the workers and for the protection of this national asset,” he declared.
Jagan emphasized that the party’s mission was not only to prevent privatization but also to revive and strengthen the plant’s operations. He recalled that during his tenure as Chief Minister, his government had extended consistent support to the plant and fought against the Centre’s privatization move.
The workers placed three major demands before the government: reversal of the Union Cabinet’s decision to privatize the plant, allocation of exclusive captive iron ore mines to VSP to reduce operational costs, and the merger of the plant with the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). They also sought the reinstatement of all employees who were recently retrenched.
The workers made it clear that they would continue their agitation until these key demands were met, asserting that their struggle was not just for jobs, but for the very existence of the Visakha Steel Plant a symbol of Andhra pride.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
