Andhra Pradesh: Workers disappointed as CM failed to raise VSP issue with PM, says Union

Visakhapatnam: The workers are disappointed as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi five times after forming the government in AP, has not even once mentioned the issue of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), said senior trade union leader Varasala Srinivasa Rao.

In a release in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, he said the Chief Minister should focus on the continuity of the VSP in the government sector and ensure supply of raw material required for production as the situation of the plant is on the brink of alarming danger.

He said Union steel minister H.D. Kumaraswamy visited the steel plant a month ago and promised to streamline supply of the raw materials needed for normal production by NMDC but nothing was done.

He said the stocks of raw material are dwindling fast and urgent steps needed to be taken to save the blast furnaces. He said one blast furnace has stopped production altogether, while production was reduced at one of the two furnaces currently available.

He said employees were being paid twice a month and contract workers have not been paid for six months. Varasala Srinivasa Rao appealed to the Chief Minister to give priority to this issue and talk to the Prime Minister to keep the promise given to the people of north Andhra before the general elections.