Ramadoss urges TN govt to oppose privatisation of Salem Steel Plant

CHENNAI: PMK leader S Ramadoss on Wednesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to oppose the Centre’s move to privatise Salem Steel Plan.
In a statement, Ramadoss suggested that the government take up modernisation of the plant and a committee of TN ministers go to New Delhi and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue.
He said the Centre was going ahead with disinvestment of Salem Steel Plant even though political parties in Tamil Nadu were protesting against the move.
He alleged that the Centre had intensified its efforts on this front as the state government had not strongly expressed its opposition to it.
He recalled that in August this year, state industries minister M C Sampath, during the debate on demands for grants to the industries department in the assembly, asserted that chief minister J Jayalalithaa would not allow the Salem Steel Plant to fall into private hands.
Just as the state acquired a stake in Neyveli Lignite Corporation when the Centre attempted to privatise it, the Tamil Nadu government should act in the case of Salem Steel Plant, Ramadoss said. He added that the move to private the plant would affect 2,000 workers.
If the Centre persisted with its disinvestment plan, the PMK would organise peaceful protests along with residents of Salem and the steel plant workers, he said.