An all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) of workers’ unions and people’s organisations on Wednesday demanded ₹1 crore compensation and permanent employment for the families of the 10 workers killed in the June 8 accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, besides calling for a judicial inquiry into the ghastly incident.
The demand was made at a round-table conference organised by the JAC at the Public Library in the city. The meeting was chaired by JAC chairman M. Jaggu Naidu and vice-chairman M. Manmadhara Rao.
Lapses in safety measures
Addressing the gathering, former UPSC member and former Vice-Chancellor of Dravidian University K.S. Chalam, Visakhapatnam Bar Association president Sanyasi Rao, CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao, and Visakha Steel Protection Committee leaders Mantri Rajasekhar and Adinarayana alleged that lapses in safety measures and maintenance had contributed to the accident.
“Our first demand is a judicial inquiry. Only an independent and impartial investigation can bring out the truth,” Mr. Narasinga Rao said, while calling for accountability and measures to prevent similar incidents in future.
A resolution adopted at the meeting called for a judicial inquiry into the accident, payment of ₹1 crore compensation and permanent employment to the families of the deceased workers, and ₹50 lakh compensation to those injured. It also sought full reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by the injured.
The meeting was attended by representatives of CITU, AITUC, IFTU, INTUC and several other workers’ unions, along with members of lawyers’, women’s, youth and farmers’ organisations.
Published - June 17, 2026 09:10 pm IST
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