Former Vice Chancellor of Dravidian University K.S. Chalam speaking at the A.P. Labour Summit 2025, organised by CITU, at Alluri Vignana Kendram, in Visakhapatnam, on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
The speakers at the A.P. Labour Summit 2025 said that it is strange for the alliance government in Andhra Pradesh to make claims about attracting huge investments and generating significant employment through the forthcoming CII Partnership Summit, when such summits in the past had failed to evoke the desired response.
The Labour Summit 2025 was organised by the CITU at the Alluri Vignana Kendram, on Tuesday. Dravidian University former Vice Chancellor K.S. Chalam, former MLC from North Andhra M.V.S. Sarma, Writer’s Academy chairman Ramana Murthy and Nirmala, a professor from the Andhra University, were among the participants in the meet, which was presided over by CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V Kumar.
Ridiculing the State government’s claims, the speakers recalled that similar partnership summits held in the past had failed to generate huge new investments or massive employment, contrary to the claims of the then governments. They alleged that the coalition government was handing over large tracts of lands to corporate groups at throwaway prices in the name of ‘Speed of Doing Business’. They further stated that no industries had been established on the lands allotted to corporate groups in the past.
They also felt that it was incorrect to say that the Google Data Centre would generate 1.6 lakh jobs. Industries rejected by other nations, were being relocated in Andhra Pradesh, and the TDP-led alliance government was claiming credit for it. The ‘data centres’ do not generate huge employment on their own but are heavy water guzzlers and consume vast amounts of power. They contribute to a rise in the surrounding temperatures and cause environmental damage.
The speakers alleged that the NDA government was keen on the destroying existing public sector industries and replacing them with private sector and corporate companies. The approvals granted to Arcelor Mittal Steel Plant in Anakapalli was a ploy to shut down the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, they alleged. These private companies are interested in making profits and not in promoting social justice like provision of reservations to marginalised communities and physically challenged persons.
They also criticised the State government’s amendment to the labour laws, which increase the working hours from 10 to 13 hours and allowed women employees to work night shifts. The minimum wages in scheduled employments have not been revised for the past 15 years, and the right of workers’ to form trade unions is being taken away.
AITUC national vice president D. Adinarayana, district secretary Atchuta Rao, INTUC district general secretary B. Nagabushanam, Steel Plant Employees Union general secretary J. Ayodhya Ram and BSNL Employees Union general secretary Sagar along with others attended the meeting.
Published – November 11, 2025 08:26 pm IST
