Vizag plant Andhra's heirloom, don't privatise it: YSRCP MP

Amaravati/New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy on Wednesday said that the Centre's decision to sell off PSUs is not the solution as he came out strongly against the proposed privatisation of the Vizag Steel Plant (VSP).

"Rather than selling PSUs formed over the years, I urge the government to look at the alternative resources for revenue generation such as widening the tax base, etc..," he said in a speech in the upper house of Parliament.

Pleading with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to refrain from VSP's privatisation, he likened the steel plant as a gold heirloom of Andhra Pradesh.

"Madam (Sitharaman) is the daughter-in-law of AP and madam knows the sentiment of AP. I request the Finance Minister to kindly reconsider the privatisation of VSP," he said.

Referring to the tradition of South Indian women who generally seldom sell their heirloom gold, Reddy said the steel plant is equal to gold for the Telugu people.

"South Indian women particularly won't sell the gold. They won't sell the family gold. In fact, madam (Sitharaman) has decided to sell the gold of AP, that is a navaratana PSU, which is very unfortunate," he said.