Steel union accuses Ministry of fudging facts on grievance portal

The Visakha Steel Employees Union (VSEU) on Saturday accused the Ministry of Steel of uploading false and misleading responses on the CPGRAMS grievance portal to conceal unpaid dues owed to hundreds of voluntary retirees.

General Secretary Padi Trinadha Rao alleged that 486 employees who opted for voluntary retirement under VRS-2 in September 2024 have not received their dues. He claimed that funds set aside for these retirees under the RINL revival package were diverted by the management for unauthorised purposes, in violation of Department of Public Enterprises guidelines and Ministry of Finance directives.

Mr. Trinadha Rao has filed a fresh grievance on the portal, highlighting the alleged misuse of VRS-specific funds and a selective payment pattern in which VRS-1 participants received their dues while VRS-2 and VRS-3 retirees continue to wait.

Citing recent Supreme Court judgments, the union leader has demanded the immediate release of all pending dues along with accrued interest as compensation for the hardship faced by the retirees.

Mr. Trinadha Rao has also written to the Prime Minister’s Office, urging it to intervene. He cautioned that the Ministry’s practice of uploading unverified responses is undermining the credibility of the government’s grievance redressal mechanism.