Former Minister Dharmana Slams Coalition Over Failure to Stop Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Privatisation

Former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao has accused the ruling coalition government of failing to prevent the proposed privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, questioning its commitment to protecting the interests of the city and its people.

He said the coalition, despite being part of the government at the Centre, had failed to stop the privatisation process. Questioning the government’s accountability to farmers who had surrendered their land for the steel plant, Dharmana asked what explanation it had for them. He urged Visakhapatnam voters to take the issue seriously and express their dissatisfaction with the ruling coalition through their votes.

Appealing to people from Srikakulam who have settled in Visakhapatnam, he sought their support for Varudu Kalyani, the YSRCP candidate for the mayoral post.

Dharmana also criticised the state government's alleged land distribution policies in Visakhapatnam, accusing it of favouring relatives and close associates by allotting valuable land at nominal prices of 99 rupees and 99 paise. He alleged that the government was diverting land meant for public purposes to private individuals while neglecting the city's development needs.

Referring to the 33,000 acres of land around Amaravati, he alleged that the ruling coalition had already appropriated large tracts of land and continued to pursue further land-related interests. He further accused the government of diverting funds meant for Visakhapatnam to Amaravati, reflecting what he described as discrimination against the port city.

Pointing to the civic challenges faced by residents, Dharmana said some parts of Visakhapatnam were still struggling to access basic drinking water. He alleged that the government was ignoring people's essential needs and urged voters to use the elections as an opportunity to register their protest against its policies.

Meanwhile, Palnadu district YSRCP president Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy accused certain sub-inspectors of acting as agents of the Telugu Desam Party instead of discharging their official responsibilities impartially.

He alleged that police personnel were threatening YSRCP candidates contesting the MPTC and ZPTC elections, warning them against entering the electoral fray. According to him, some candidates were even being threatened with the registration of ganja-related cases if they chose to contest.

Pinnelli warned that officials found guilty of misusing their authority would be held accountable under the law, asserting that the party would not spare those involved in such alleged misconduct.