While Visakha Steel Plant workers and civil society have been agitating against the alleged move of the Center to privatize the Plant, both the TDP and YSRCP members joined together in making a resolution in the AP Legislative Council. It congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy for `protecting’ the Visakha Steel plant.
It may be recalled that the Legislative Council meetings, which were heated with verbal exchanges between ruling and opposition members, found a `common interest’ in making a unanimous resolution praising the Centre. Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh introduced the resolution, which was unanimously passed with the support of even YSRCP members.
However, when YSRCP members accused them of taking rapid steps towards the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Minister Lokesh responded by assuring that the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant will not happen, and deplored that the YSRCP members are not clear though they have said this a hundred times.
He recalled that earlier they themselves claimed that the privatization of the steel plant had stopped, but wondered as now again they are again misleading the House. “We have brought the production capacity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant to almost 80 percent. YCP has done nothing in five years. During YCP’s rule, production capacity fell to 48 percent”, he said.
“Rs. 25,000 crores of debt have been incurred. What are you talking about?” he asked. “We did not go to Delhi about our own cases. They are asking us to intimidate the Center and withdraw support. We are unconditionally supporting the NDA for the interests of the country. We will not quarrel with the Center, we will discuss and talk,” he concluded.
The minister directly asked whether the YCP members were approving or opposing the resolution he had introduced? Leader of the Opposition in the Council, Botsa Satyanarayana, said that the YCP would cooperate with anyone who tried to block the privatization of the steel plant and would extend full support.
Meanwhile, Minister Lokesh refuted Botsa Satyanarayana’s allegations that valuable lands were being given to industries. He challenged that he would resign from the post of minister if it is proven that Ursa company was given an acre of land in Visakhapatnam for just one rupee.
He said that by setting up TCS and Cognizant industries, each company will provide 25,000 jobs and an economic activity of Rs. 15,000 crore will be created. He clarified that lands were given to these two companies only for one rupee and not to any other company.