JAC renews demand for judicial probe into Steel Plant accident
A Joint Action Committee (JAC) of workers’ unions and people’s organisations staged a protest outside the Visakhapatnam Collectorate on Friday, renewing its demand for a
A Joint Action Committee (JAC) of workers’ unions and people’s organisations staged a protest outside the Visakhapatnam Collectorate on Friday, renewing its demand for a judicial inquiry into the June 8 accident in the Steel Melt Shop (SMS) of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, which claimed lives of 10 workers. The protest, organised as part of a State-wide campaign, sought ₹1 crore as compensation from the State government for the family of each deceased worker and ₹50 lakh for each injured worker.
The JAC also demanded that the proposed privatisation of the Steel Plant be halted and that stringent safety measures be implemented to prevent similar accidents. A memorandum was later submitted to the district administration. The meeting, presided over by CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar and AITUC district general secretary C.J. Achyuta Rao, began with a minute’s silence in memory of the victims.
According to the speakers, eight workers died at the accident site while two succumbed to injuries during treatment. Addressing the gathering, JAC chairman M. Jaggu Naidu and other leaders of workers’ organisations alleged that the accident resulted from negligence on the part of the Union and State governments and the Steel Plant management. They claimed that while the management had announced ₹25 lakh as compensation to each bereaved family, the State government had not announced any financial assistance.
They also demanded a comprehensive safety audit, improvements in machinery and workplace infrastructure, and stronger safety protocols, and said the agitation would continue until justice was secured for the affected families.
The BriefWire