Home Minister V. Anitha and TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao addressing the media in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

| Photo Credit: V. RAJU

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Andhra Pradesh unit president Palla Srinivasa Rao refuted YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s allegations that the NDA government had failed to protect the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).“Had the NDA not come to power in 2024, the VSP would have been privatised by now,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao toldf the media at the TDP office in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, shortly after Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the city.The former Chief Minister must remember that the workers’ unions used to stage protests against the proposed privatisation of the VSP during the YSRCP tenure. The protest camps were withdrawn only after the NDA assumed power, he said.The TDP leader also took a dig at the workers’ unions. “Some union representatives who are now standing with Mr. Jagan had earlier told me that bringing around ₹3,000 crore would revive the steel plant to profits. But the NDA government facilitated a financial package of ₹ 11,440 crore for the plant,” he said.Mr. Srinivasa Rao said A.P. had extended ‘unprecedented financial assistance’ to a Central government enterprise. He claimed that the State government had spent nearly ₹2,600 crore to support the steel plant. “The YSRCP, during its tenure, continued to collect electricity dues from the plant on the first day of every month, despite its financial struggles,” he said.On the issue of compensation and rehabilitation for the families affected by the recent blast, the Gajuwaka MLA said that apart from retirement and statutory benefits, the government has promised permanent employment to eligible family members of the deceased workers.“The government will ensure these jobs are provided within 90 days. The necessary measures will be implemented to strengthen safety standards,” he said.Meanwhile, Home Minister V. Anitha also pointed out that the VSP workers’ unions had protested for hundreds of days against the proposed privatisation during the YSRCP’s tenure. “Yet, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had never visited the protest camp or the plant. When workers had sought to meet him, Mr. Jagan invited a few representatives to the airport instead of visiting the steel plant himself,” she said. Published - June 10, 2026 08:11 pm IST