The Hindu Business Line : Rs 100-cr revival package for BHPV promised

Mr N. Janardhana Reddy, MP from Visakhapatnam, interacting with displaced people in the Visakhapatnam steel plant when he visited the plant on Tuesday. The victims demanded rehabilitation of the families. - K.R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam , June 15

THE Union Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, has agreed to the proposal for a Rs 100-crore revival package for the ailing Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels Ltd (BHPV) here and the workers need harbour no apprehensions on the future of the unit, according to Mr N. Janardhana Reddy, former Chief Minister and the Member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam.

Mr Janardhana Reddy, on his first visit to the city after being elected as the member of the Lok Sabha, visited the BHPV and the steel plant on Tuesday and spoke to the management representatives and workers. Those displaced by the Visakhapatnam steel plant submitted a memorandum urging him to prevail upon the plant management to provide at least contract jobs to them.

At the BHPV, Mr Reddy visited the workers' relay hunger strike camp and prevailed upon the leaders to give up the agitation for the protection of the plant.

He assured the workers that he had taken up the issue with Mr Chidambaram and the latter had agreed to okay the revival package. "The Union Industries Minister, Mr Santosh Mohan Dev, will discuss the issue with the officials and the revival package would then be submitted to the Finance Minister,'' he assured the workers.

In response to the plea of those displaced , he said he would take up the issue with the Union Steel Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, who would be visiting the plant on Wednesday.

Mr M. Rajasekhar, president of the recognised union, the Visakha Steel Congress, also submitted a memorandum to the MP, urging him to take up the issue of plant capacity expansion from the present 3 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes.

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