Pawan Kalyan announces compensation, jobs for families

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has announced a comprehensive relief package for the families of workers who lost their lives in the tragic Visakhapatnam Steel Plant accident, assuring that the coalition government would stand firmly by the victims and ensure justice.

After inspecting the accident site and interacting with officials, workers and victims’ families, Pawan Kalyan said each deceased worker’s family would receive an immediate compensation of Rs. 25 lakh and one employment opportunity in the steel plant. Workers who sustained serious injuries in the accident will be provided Rs. 10 lakh each as immediate financial assistance. He also confirmed that the entire medical expenses of the injured would be borne by the plant management.

The Deputy Chief Minister stated that permanent employees’ families would receive retirement benefits amounting to Rs. 1.72 crore, while contract workers’ families would receive Rs. 45.75 lakh under applicable compensation norms. He further assured that the education of the deceased workers’ children would continue uninterrupted with full support from the management. Families currently residing in steel plant quarters would be allowed to continue occupying them until the deceased employee’s retirement age, while those living outside the township could also be allotted quarters if required.

Expressing deep concern over the accident that claimed eight lives and left six others seriously injured, Pawan Kalyan said such a disaster had never occurred in the plant’s 36-year history. He noted that workers had raised concerns about inadequate safety measures, outdated equipment and delayed modernization efforts. According to preliminary information, an explosion involving a molten steel ladle appears to be an extremely rare industrial accident, unprecedented in the plant’s operational history.

To ascertain the exact cause, a three-member expert committee from Bokaro Steel Plant has been constituted. The committee will conduct a comprehensive investigation into all technical and operational aspects of the incident and submit its report to the government. Action will be taken based on its findings.

Pawan Kalyan also announced that he would soon convene a round-table meeting with labour unions and workers’ representatives to discuss safety standards, modernization requirements and long-pending employee concerns. Reiterating his commitment to the public sector steel plant, he said the NDA government remained determined to protect and strengthen Visakha Steel Plant while ensuring that such tragedies never recur.