CITU seeks arrest of VSP CMD over fatal accidents
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on Thursday demanded the immediate arrest of the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), alleging criminal negligence over a series of fatal industrial accidents and accusing the management of compromising worker safety.
Addressing the media, CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao and State Secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar alleged that the plant had become an unsafe workplace because of the management’s negligence, leaving employees uncertain whether they would return home safely after every shift.
Referring to the June 8 accident in which 10 workers were killed, the union said the inquiry committee appointed by Union Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was yet to submit its report, more than a month after the incident.
CITU alleged that the State Factories Department had identified eight major safety violations and served a notice on the VSP management on June 23, 2026. It further claimed that factory authorities had detected 645 safety lapses on December 1, 2025, and sought an explanation within 15 days, but the management had failed to respond.
According to the union, 12 workers died in separate industrial accidents at the plant in 2025, while 37 cases related to safety violations were pending before courts. It attributed the June 8 accident to systemic failures, including the use of poor-quality raw materials, malfunctioning instrumentation since June 5, inadequate maintenance, and the absence of essential protective equipment such as heat-resistant aprons and ladle safety covers.
Mr. Narasinga Rao alleged that the management’s focus on cost-cutting and privatisation had come at the expense of worker safety. He claimed that a ladle safety cover costing about ₹2 lakh could have prevented the deaths.
Drawing a parallel with the 2020 LG Polymers gas leak, in which company directors were arrested, the union questioned why similar action had not been taken against VSP officials despite repeated fatal accidents at the plant.
CITU demanded the immediate arrest of the VSP CMD, compensation of ₹1 crore to the family of each deceased worker, and ₹50 lakh to each injured worker. It also called for a comprehensive overhaul of safety systems and the restoration of adequate manpower in safety and other critical operational departments.
The union further alleged that staffing in the safety department had declined sharply over the years, leading to severe manpower shortages. It warned of intensifying its agitation if the Centre and the State government continued to prioritise privatisation over workers’ safety.