Pawan, Lokesh offer support to VSP victims, their families

Visakhapatnam: Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan and IT & HRD Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday stated that both the central and state governments would stand by the bereaved family members and victims affected by the accident at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and continue to provide all possible support for good.

Atleast eight people died and six were injured when a major accident took place at Steel Melting Shop-1 (SMS-1) of the Continuous Casting Department, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), on Monday.

After interacting with accident victims undergoing treatment at KIMS Icon Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, Pawan Kalyan said that a three-member committee will probe every detail of the accident, including safety audits conducted so far and protocols followed at the workplace. “Experts will consider all angles of the incident before submitting the final report,” he mentioned. “For over 35 years, an incident of this magnitude has not happened anywhere, and a comprehensive report will be submitted by the committee from Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL),” said Pawan Kalyan.

“After examining the accident spot, I felt the plant needs upgrading,” he added.

Meanwhile, meeting the victims’ families at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam, Lokesh expressed profound grief over the loss of lives and conveyed his heartfelt condolences. Emphasising that the government’s support would not end post the payment of compensation, Lokesh said the government would hold further discussions with the affected families in Amaravati to identify additional measures for their welfare. “The NDA government would take the onus of not just to help the families become self-reliant but also support the education and future of the children who lost their parents in the tragedy,” he said.

He said that, following the directions of Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy, one eligible member from each victim's family would be provided with a permanent job and that is a commendable commitment. Recalling the collective efforts to revive the VSP, Lokesh underlined the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of its workforce. Lokesh said Kumaraswamy visited the accident site and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased. He criticised trade union leaders for alleging that the compensation would not be paid in the next 90 days and stated that such claims show their immaturity level. “The government should be questioned only if it failed to meet its commitments. Earlier, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to secure a package for VSP and the government is very much committed toward protecting the plant in all aspects,” he said while addressing the media.

He informed that Rs.25 lakh would be credited as the first installment of compensation to the bank accounts of the eight deceased workers' families immediately. In addition, the government would ensure disbursement of all pending financial benefits, including provident fund dues, and compensation payable by the steel plant after computing the total amount due to each family. Stressing that appropriate action would be initiated after the committee submits its comprehensive report on the incident, Lokesh reiterated the government's resolve to thoroughly examine the accident's causes and consider every possible measure to prevent such incidents from recurring. Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Home Minister V. Anitha, Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani, Member of Parliament M. Sribharat, TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao and Chintakayala Vijay, among others, accompanied Nara Lokesh and extended moral support to the affected families.