*VSP deaths are govt-caused tragedy, families must grt Rs. 1 crore compensation*

Visakhapatnam, June 9: Former Minister and YSRCP leader Gudivada Amarnath stated that the tragic loss of lives in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was a consequence of the coalition government’s policies and demanded Rs. 1 crore compensation and a government job for one family member of each deceased worker, along with Rs. 50 lakh compensation for the injured. Addressing the media in Visakhapatnam, he criticized Minister Nara Lokesh for displaying “frustration and arrogance” instead of consoling victims, stating that his remarks against trade union leaders and workers had deeply hurt the people of North Andhra. He urged the government to identify the reasons behind the accident instead of politicizing the tragedy and demanded an apology to the workers’ unions and bereaved families.
Amarnath attributed the accident to systematic weakening of the Steel Plant over the past two years, alleging that nearly 6,000 contract workers and around 1,800 regular employees had been removed through VRS, leading to severe manpower shortages and increased workload. He criticized the introduction of production-linked wages, transfers of non-executive employees unfamiliar with new machinery, and the withdrawal of employee welfare benefits, arguing that these policy decisions compromised workplace safety and ultimately resulted in the fatal accident.
Refuting criticism from Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, Amarnath said Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had consistently opposed the privatization of Visakha Steel Plant by writing to the Prime Minister, raising the issue from public platforms, and passing an Assembly resolution against privatization, which was forwarded to the Centre. He asserted that these efforts prevented the privatization process from moving forward and challenged the coalition leadership to demonstrate similar initiatives.
He further questioned the coalition government’s claim of providing Rs. 14,000 crore to save the Steel Plant, stating that the funds were used only for bank liabilities and VRS payments rather than for worker welfare or modernization. Comparing previous compensation policies, he noted that the YSRCP government had announced ₹1 crore compensation in the LG Polymers tragedy and urged the present government to extend the same relief to the families of the deceased Steel Plant workers. He also announced that YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would visit Visakhapatnam to personally console the victims and their families.