Swachh Andhra Corporation Chairman Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram accused YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of misleading the public on Visakha Steel Plant, alleging that his government failed to protect the plant while the NDA government secured a revival package and restored profitability.
Swachh Andhra Corporation Chairman Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram on Thursday accused former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of failing to protect the Visakha Steel Plant during his tenure and attempting to gain political mileage from the recent industrial accident at the facility.
Addressing the media at NTR Bhavan in Mangalagiri, Pattabhi Ram said the state and central governments acted swiftly following the tragic accident that claimed the lives of several workers. He noted that senior leaders, including Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Education Minister Nara Lokesh and Union Minister of State for Steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, visited the site, reviewed relief measures and assured support to the affected families, including compensation and employment assistance.
Criticizing Jagan's recent visit to the steel plant, Pattabhi Ram alleged that the former Chief Minister's claims about protecting Visakha Steel from privatization were misleading. He said letters written by Jagan to the Centre in 2021 proposed monetization of a portion of the plant's land assets rather than offering a concrete solution to prevent privatization.
The TDP leader further alleged that the YSRCP government failed to renew several key mining leases required for the plant's operations, affecting the supply of essential raw materials. According to him, these issues were resolved only after the NDA coalition government came to power.
Citing parliamentary records, Pattabhi Ram claimed that the workforce at the steel plant declined significantly during the YSRCP regime, with thousands of employees either resigning or opting for voluntary retirement.
Highlighting the NDA government's efforts, he said the Centre had approved a Rs 12,000 crore revival package for the plant. He claimed that production capacity, which had fallen sharply, had improved substantially under the coalition government, helping the plant return to profitability.
Pattabhi Ram asserted that the NDA government remains committed to the revival of Visakha Steel and the welfare of its workers, while accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation for political purposes.
