Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday said the explosion at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was not caused by a shortage of workers or any operational processing fault.
A sudden severe explosion in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Vizag Steel Plant) in Vizag killed eight workers and injured six more on June 8.
“The accident did not occur due to a shortage of workers in the steel plant. There were no faults in the processing,” said Lokesh in a press release.
While emphasising that RINL utilises the best Russian technology, he said it is not known why the ladle exploded with a loud noise.
The IT Minister promised to take action once a committee submits its report on the disaster and to ensure that accidents of this nature do not recur.
Rejecting the claims that the government would wash off its hands by declaring an ex gratia, the TDP working president assured that the administration would stand by the victims’ families “forever.”
After inspecting the accident site, Lokesh claimed that the TDP-led government has managed to “save” the steel plant through a Rs 15,000-crore package and resumed production.
He highlighted the swift mobilisation of officials, including the collector, police commissioner, and TDP state president Palla Srinivas who rushed to the spot after the blast.
According to him, Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Minister of State for Steel B Srinivasa Raju visiting the spot to review the situation is a testament to the NDA government’s integrity.
Kumaraswamy promised to offer a permanent job to each family of the deceased victims, whether they were permanent or contract employees of the steel plant.
As per the directions of the Union Steel Minister, Lokesh said Rs 25 lakh will be disbursed to eight families of the victims today, which will be followed by the remaining ex gratia, provident fund cash and other dues from the steel plant.
“It is the responsibility of the NDA government to see that the victims’ children stand on their feet,” he said.
Further, Lokesh underlined that RINL also needs a slurry pipeline and claimed that no trade union leader raised this matter.
He said the NDA alliance government will take the responsibility of setting up a slurry pipeline to RINL.
Meanwhile, YSRCP accused Lokesh of displaying “arrogance and uttering insensitive” remarks during his visit to console the steel plant victims’ families.
“Lokesh displayed the arrogance of being in power while interacting with trade union leaders when he visited the bereaved families, showing that power has gone to his head,” said YSRCP spokesperson V Narendra in a press release.
During Lokesh’s visit, an argument broke out between him and a left leader, CPI (M) Srinivas Rao, and others representing the victims, according to vernacular television channels footage aired widely.
According to the YSRCP leader, Lokesh’s response to the queries raised by trade union leaders were “insensitive”, hinting at the IT Minister’s reply to a trade union leader that “none of your family members had died in the accident.”
It is the trade unions that raise questions on behalf of the affected workers and grieving family members.
Though the TDP made tall promises regarding the steel plant before the elections, it has not fulfilled even a single one of them.
Instead, it has continued the piecemeal privatisation of the steel plant and failed to secure any meaningful support from the Centre, he alleged.
Moreover, the YSRCP leader pointed out that Industries Minister TG Bharat is “nowhere to been seen during this hour of grief.”
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