The agitation by the employees of the public sector Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) here against the proposed 100 per cent strategic sale of equity has intensified, after an employee of the corporation reportedly ended his life in Vizianagaram district on Monday evening.

A day after the reported suicide by N Venkatesh (29) working in the HRD department, the employees went on a mass casual leave on Tuesday to press for the demand to revoke the decision on privatisation of the DCI.

The body of Venkatesh was found near the railway track near Nellimarla in Vizianagaram district and he reportedly left a suicide note stating that he had taken the extreme step in protest against the move of the Union government. The employees served an ultimatum to the government that unless the move was shelved, they would go ahead with the indefinite strike plan and intensify the agitation.

A meeting of all the PSU unions was convened by the CITU here today.

Usha Rani, Joint Manager (law), DCI, said the DCI was “a profit-making company ever since it was set up in 1976. Privatisation of DCI will be a national loss, as we undertake dredging works with a low margin. The move should be revoked.”

PK Sethi, Joint General Manager, said, “The DCI is the pride of Andhra Pradesh as its corporate office was set up here instead of Mumbai. The government wants to sell it for ₹1,500 crore, undervaluing its assets which are actually worth ₹5,000 crore to ₹6,000 crore.”

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