VUPPC members organise a blockade at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

Intensifying the agitation against the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) in the city, the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) started a blockade of the steel plant on Thursday morning. The blockade is being organised as the Centre continues with the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) disinvestment process. On Thursday, companies bidding for the technical advisor to Centre in the disinvestment process will be presenting their proposals to the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

As a part of the blockade, the VUPPC members have been blocking all the seven gates to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant from 7 AM on Thursday, barring all people from entering the steel plant premises. Furthermore, the blockade will also take place at the RINL Administrative Building, starting at 8 AM. The blockade is expected to continue for up to 5 – 6 hours, well into Thursday afternoon. With this blockade, VUPPC is aiming to draw the attention of the Central Government, conveying that they won’t bog down in their agitation against the privatisation of the steel plant. It has also been established by VUPPC that any politicians or other people representing the Central Government will not be allowed to step into the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

It’s been more than 230 days since the people of Vizag and VUPPC members started protesting against the privatisation of VSP. The steel plant workers, in particular, have been persistent in their protest, sometimes even protesting under the rain. A large number of citizens have also joined this agitation, either by participating in a 10 km human chain or talking about the issue on social media. Although, the Central Government has not budged from its plans of 100 percent strategic disinvestment of RINL.

On the other hand, RINL added another feather to its cap on Wednesday, ranked first in terms of cost management by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI).