Leaders from various national farmers’ unions will attend the Save Visakhapatnam Steel Plant meeting on April 18th here at RK Beach.
The leaders who are at the forefront of farmers’ agitation against the new farm laws in New Delhi will express their solidarity with the striking VSP workers.
Visakha Ukku Porata Committee Chairman Ch. Narasinga Rao, D. Adinarayana and Mantri Rajasekhar said the meeting would be preceded by a rally from the intersection of the Park Hotel to the venue.
Rakesh Singh Tikait (BKU), Ashok Dhaval and Balkaran Singh (AIKS), B. Venkat (AIWU) and Dharampal Singh (Kisan Morcha) as well as union leaders of the state farmers like Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Kesava Rao, D. Subba Rao, Ravula Venkayya and Jamalayya would attend the meeting.
Farm Acts
The committee chairs said the three agricultural laws issued by the Union government would mean the fate of farmers as agriculture would fall into the hands of the corporate sector. Small and small farmers are being denied the minimum support price and there is no food security in the country, they claimed.
The center tried to quell the unrest in Delhi by cutting off supplies to the agitated peasants, but they stood by their request, leaders said.
“You farmers are an inspiration to workers across the country in their struggle against the unilateral policies of the Modi government,” the leaders said.
“The steel mill in Visakhapatnam was established after 32 people had sacrificed their lives for the cause. The center’s BJP-led government is proposing to sell its stake in the facility, labeling it as a loss-making entity while ignoring the 44,000 crore it has given the central and local authorities in taxes and dividends over the years State government has paid, “They said.
The centre’s investment in the VSP was only £ 4,950 billion, according to committee chairs, adding that the state-run BJP was also not concerned about the VSP, which allegedly provides jobs for thousands of people.
The committee chairs accused the center of planning to hand over the £ 3 billion VSP to corporate groups for £ 1300 billion and called on the public to join the protest.