Hyderabad: Telangana government is reportedly looking to bid for the Vizag Steel Plant (VCP) through its Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) while alleging that the Centre is trying to privatise the steel plant.
According to a report by the Times of India, chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has reportedly instructed a few officials from the government as well as the SCCL to visit the VSP and prepare a blueprint. The last date for submitting bids for VSP is on April 15.
TOI termed the move as the first time a state-run company will place bids to secure a PSU in a neighbouring state.
The Telangana government enjoys a majority stake in SCCL of 51% while the Centre holds the remaining 49 percent.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao, on April 2, reiterated the party’s support to Vizag Steel Plant workers saying that the BRS would oppose the Central government’s move to privatise the steel plant.
The BRS party has been opposing the alleged privatisation of PSUs by the Centre in the two Telugu states.
BRS on Saturday organised a ‘Maha Dharna’ to protest against the Centre’s decision to auction Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) coal mines during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city.
The report said that there is a possibility of BRS leaders meeting the VSP union leaders in Visakhapatnam.
According to the report, AP BRS president Thota Chandrasekhar collated information on ways to stall privatisation by participating in bids after his meeting with the VSP union leaders.
“If the BRS government’s strategy works out, the Centre may have to support VSP by providing working capital as was done by former prime ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee and PV Narasimha Rao,” a senior BRS leader was quoted by TOI.
Communist Party of India national secretary K Narayana on Monday welcomed Telangana’s interest in VSP in Andhra Pradesh.
He said that if VSP goes into the hands of private companies like Adani Group, it would be a great loss to the country and appreciated the CM KCR’s decision to take over the PSU.
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