Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Being ‘Dismantled in Pieces’, Alleges HRF
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has launched a scathing attack on the Union government’s renewed push towards privatising the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), following a call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) from private agencies to operate and maintain 34 critical departments.
HRF leaders argue that the move, which covers blast furnace systems, slag granulation plants, mines, furnace cooling equipment and charging units, is not routine outsourcing but a calculated step to hollow out the public-sector character of the plant.
“This is not reform, it is dismantling. A national asset built through the struggles of lakhs is being parcelled out to private hands at throwaway prices. What is underway is plunder—selling the Steel Plant piece by piece,” said HRF Andhra Pradesh State president K.V. Jagannadha Rao and coordination committee member V.S. Krishna.
The forum warned that subcontracting hazardous operations undermines both safety and law. The Factories Act mandates trained, permanent staff for such units, but profit-driven outsourcing, HRF said, dilutes accountability and increases accident risks. “Across Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts, industrial mishaps are already on the rise. This will push workers and surrounding communities into greater danger,” it cautioned.
HRF pointed to the mass termination of contract workers and the quiet exit of regular employees as evidence of a larger design. “This is not merely about livelihoods. Visakha Steel represents a historic people’s movement, and its erosion is an attack on that legacy,” the members said.
The forum also accused elected representatives of doublespeak. “Publicly, they swear to protect the Steel Plant. Privately, they enable its privatisation. This is betrayal of public trust,” HRF alleged.
Calling for an immediate halt to all privatisation moves, HRF demanded reinstatement of terminated workers, open consultations with trade unions, uninterrupted raw material supply, and a binding assurance from the Centre and State to keep VSP in the public sector.