During a high-profile visit to AP’s financial capital Visakhapatnam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again kept silent on the much agitating Visakha Steel Plant crisis. He did not respond to the anger and agitations of people in that area for the last four years seeking protection of the plant.
Surprisingly, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who were next to him, did not even plead to PM Modi on the Steel Plant. No wonder, both of them competed to please him.
It may be recalled that exactly two years and two months ago, on November 12, 2022, PM Modi held a meeting at the same Andhra University Engineering College grounds. There was already a large-scale movement against the sale of the steel plant. Even then, he did not respond to it.
The then Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy, who was next to him, did not even ask him. On this occasion, both Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, who were in the opposition at the time, criticized Jaganmohan Reddy for not asking Modi because he was afraid of the cases against him.
Both of them promised to protect the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and take the state forward in the direction of development if a double engine government is formed in the state during the 2024 elections. But contrary to that, the Center has further increased the difficulties of the steel plant.
It is laying off workers. It is also resorting to extortion without paying the salaries of the employees. It blocked the steel plant by not providing coal, raw materials, and even train racks. Uttarandhra Abhivruddi Vedika organizing secretary M Srinivas said that PM Modi has betrayed Visakhapatnam once again without responding to the problems plugging the state.
The coalition parties were also disappointed as PM Modi did not even mention the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail, which was part of the AP Reorganization Act. Central government is also completely ignoring providing funds for the backward districts of the states as per its commitment in the Reorganization Act.