JAC renews demand for judicial inquiry into steel mill accident

Members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of labor unions and people’s organizations staged a protest outside the Visakhapatnam Collectorate on Friday. | Photo credit: KR DEEPAK

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of labor unions and people’s organizations staged a protest outside the Visakhapatnam Collectorate on Friday and renewed their demand for a judicial inquiry into the June 8 Visakhapatnam Steel Plant accident (SMS) that claimed the lives of 10 workers.

Organized as part of a nationwide campaign, the protest demanded ₹1 million as compensation for the family of each deceased worker and ₹50 lakh for each injured worker from the state government. The JAC also demanded that the proposed privatization of the steel plant be halted and that strict safety measures be put in place to prevent similar accidents. Later, a memorandum was submitted to the district administration.

The meeting, presided over by CITU district general secretary RKSV Kumar and AITUC district general secretary CJ Achyuta Rao, began with a minute’s silence in memory of the victims. According to the speakers, eight workers died at the scene of the accident, two succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

Addressing the rally, JAC Chairman M. Jaggu Naidu and other leaders of labor organizations alleged that the accident was due to negligence on the part of the Union and State Governments and the management of the steel plant. They alleged that while the management had announced ₹25 lakh as compensation to each bereaved family, the state government had not announced any financial assistance. They also demanded a comprehensive safety audit, improvement of workplace machinery and infrastructure and stricter safety protocols and said the agitation will continue until justice is delivered to the affected families.

Published – 03 Jul 2026 22:09 IST