Not a single rupee from the State: Jagan demands ₹1 crore each for steel blast families

Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy connected Wednesday (June 10, 2026) accused the NDA authorities of failing to support the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) from privatisation and of neglecting the payment of its employees.

Mr. Jagan visited Visakhapatnam to console the families of the workers injured successful the caller blast astatine the VSP and met those undergoing attraction astatine MGM Seven Hills Hospital.v

Addressing a property league later, helium said the VSP had astir 28,000 employees erstwhile the YSRCP authorities near bureau successful 2024. He alleged that astir 10,500 employees had been removed implicit the past 2 years nether assorted pretexts, bringing the workforce down to astir 16,000.

He alleged that the salaries of VSP employees had been pending for astir 4 and a fractional months, and that for the archetypal clip successful the country, employees’ salaries had been linked to accumulation levels. He besides alleged that the energy tariff successful the alloy plant’s residential quarters had risen sharply, from 50 paise a portion nether the YSRCP authorities to ₹8.50 a portion now, which helium called an effort to unit employees to vacate the quarters.

The YSRCP president said employees had not received immoderate benefits, including bonuses, location rent allowance (HRA), aesculapian facilities, permission encashment and incentives, for the past 2 years.

Referring to the ₹11,400-crore fiscal bundle announced for the alloy plant, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the funds were not utilized for maintenance, information improvements, operational ratio oregon worker welfare. Instead, the bundle went towards voluntary status schemes (VRS), GST dues and repayment of slope loans, helium alleged.

He urged VSP employees to comparison their contiguous concern with the YSRCP years and determine nether which authorities they had received amended support.

Restating his party’s basal against the privatisation of the alloy plant, helium said the YSRCP authorities had taken respective steps to reason the Centre’s move. Letters were sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected February 6 and March 9, 2021, urging the Centre not to privatise the plant, and the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a solution successful May 2021 opposing privatisation and forwarded it to the Central government, helium said.

“We not lone stalled the privatisation process but besides stood firmly with the alloy works employees astatine each times,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said. During the Prime Minister’s sojourn to Visakhapatnam connected November 12, 2022, the YSRCP had erstwhile again appealed against the privatisation of the plant, helium added.

‘₹1 crore compensation’

On the caller blast astatine the VSP, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the effect of the State and Central governments to the victims was “inhumane”.

Referring to the NDA leaders’ announcement that each affected household would person benefits worthy ₹1.72 crore, helium alleged that astir of the magnitude comprised the employee’s ain status benefits.

“Out of the ₹1.72 crore being cited, astir ₹1.45 crore comes from the worker’s status benefits. The national authorities is providing ₹25 lakh, portion ₹2 lakh is coming from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The State authorities is not contributing a azygous rupee,” helium alleged.

Comparing it with the 2020 LG Polymers state leak calamity successful Visakhapatnam, helium said the YSRCP authorities had acted swiftly and ensured ₹1 crore compensation to the household of each deceased victim. He demanded that the contiguous authorities likewise denote an ex-gratia of ₹1 crore to the families of those who died successful the VSP blast.