People with disabilities participated in large numbers in the protests against the privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Mill (VSP) organized on Friday by all unions, popular organizations, Vizag Steel Mill and the Public Sector Protection Committee near the Gandhi statue here .
The staged hunger strike, organized under the auspices of the committee, continued for eight days on Friday. Some of the participants had to be taken to the protest location.
Insurance Corporation Employees Union Secretary N. Ramanachalam addressed attendees and urged the gathering to stand together against the privatization of the VSP and other public sector entities. He said PSUs not only provide jobs for people with disabilities and socially disadvantaged populations, but also provide them with various facilities so that they can do their jobs justice. On the contrary, the private sector has no place for them as its only motto is profits, he said.
Handing over power supplies to corporate groups would deprive these sections of employment and drive them into obscurity. This requires the need to protect PSUs and prevent the privatization of the banking, insurance, oil and defense sectors by jointly rejecting the policies of the Union government.
National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) President Koduru Appala Naidu, District Secretary B. Nookappa Rao, President K. Appalaswamy Naidu, Mayor P. Venkayya, Member of the State Committee Venkataramana, AITUC District President Padala Ramana, Union Leader L. Venkatesh and K. Satyanarayana as well as the CITU leaders RKSV Kumar, M. Subba Rao and Y. Raju were among the participants.