Opposing privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, former minister and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Visakhapatnam North MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Friday submitted resignation to his MLA post in a prescribed format in the presence of steel plant employees and workers, who were staging protest at Kurmannapalem gate in Visakhapatnam.

"It was said that my resignation was not in a proper format when I resigned for the steel plant on February 6. Just now I submitted my resignation in the correct format," said Rao.  

Contrasting the Central government's plan of privatising the Vizag Steel Plant, which employs thousands of people, Rao took this move in protest. "I will stand by the labour unions. On the steel plant issue, a ministerial meeting should be arranged," he said.

Later on, he joined fellow TDP leader Palla Srinivas, who launched an indefinite hunger strike opposing privatisation in this port city to extend support for the cause. Rao also met with a few labour unions protesting the privatisation at Kurmannapalem at Visakhapatnam to campaign for the steel plant.

The Visakhapatnam North MLA observed that the fight for the steel plant should be taken to Delhi. He said the campaigners should meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take back the privatisation decision.

He said the protest against privatisation should be taken ahead with one new programme a day and called the steel plant as the heartbeat of north Andhra people. Earlier, the MLA came under criticism for not sending his resignation letter to Legislative Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram in a correct format. Addressing the steel plant staff, Ganta said that he signed in three different resignation letters so that one of them becomes valid.

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