Why Neglect Vizag Steel? Sharmila Questions Centre and State

Congress state president Sharmila questioned why the same level of attention shown by the Centre and State governments towards private steel plants is not being extended to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. While welcoming the establishment of the Mittal steel plant, she criticized the decision to grant incentives worth ₹25,000 crore to the company.

Speaking to the media in Vijayawada, she recalled the sacrifices made for the Vizag Steel Plant, noting that 32 people lost their lives and thousands gave up their land. Despite this, she said the long-pending demands of the plant remain unresolved.

She expressed concern over the continued uncertainty surrounding privatization, stating that no clear assurance has been given to rule it out. According to her, the move toward privatization began after the BJP came to power at the Centre. She also pointed out that suggestions to merge the plant with SAIL and demands for captive mines were ignored.

Sharmila raised concerns about the allocation of iron ore, noting that the Bailadila mines, which supply raw material to Vizag Steel, are also being used for the Mittal plant. She questioned whether this could impact raw material availability for Vizag Steel production.

She also criticized the state government’s job calendar released during Ugadi, calling it a “joke calendar.” She argued that announcing notifications for only 10,000 posts when around 1.8 lakh vacancies exist is unfair. She demanded that the age limit for Group exam aspirants be increased to 47 years.