Run organised against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

A large number of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant workers, trade union, and their family members participated in a five-kilometre long run on Sunday to protest against the privatisation of the plant.

Disappointed with the decision of the Steel Plant being privatised, the people who participated in the run said: "We will not let it be privatised. As many as 32 lives were sacrificed for the steel plant establishment in Visakhapatnam."

The run was orgsed by Visakha Ukku Porata Parirakshana Committee (VUPPC) and conducted from Kyramanapalem steel plant junction to the old Gajuwaka Centre here.

Meanwhile, the union leaders of steel plant workers gave strike notice to the management of the plant, stating that there will be a strike from March 25.

Earlier, a bandh was been observed in Andhra Pradesh against the Central government's decision to privatise the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) Visakhapatnam, popularly known as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

In which nearly all political parties and other orgsations in the state, except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), participated in the bandh, in response to a call by VSP workers unions.

The YSRCP-led state government has also expressed solidarity with the bandh and announced that RTC buses will not run till 1 pm (on bandh's day). Buses have been confined to depots and passengers were seen leaving as no transport is available.

( With inputs from ANI )